


White Clouds

by Chave



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, My First Fanfic, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Slow Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:54:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 98,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27725101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chave/pseuds/Chave
Summary: Byleth struggles to juggle between being forced to be a Professor at the monastery and all the mysteries thrown his way. All while slowly falling in love with a certain silver haired house leader. Based on the first part of the game.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there.
> 
> I originally posted this on Fanfiction.net and I am 'migrating' it to AO3.  
> I will be posting updates (hopefully) once a week on both platforms. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Prologue**

"It is almost... time to... begin..."

He saw her once more in his dreams. That strange girl with green hair and eyes, came to him while sleeping. The frequency of the dream had increased in the last few months. And it always played out the same way, but this time felt different. Almost as if it were the last time, he had this special dream.

They had found out that they had the same date of birth, but she did not seem to remember much else. She was always sleepy, and keen on pointing out that he was very rude on disturbing her rest. He always woke up once she told him she was going to go sleep. He did not understand why she kept coming to his dreams. And for the little conversation they were able to share, neither did she.

He heard familiar footsteps approaching. "Hey! Time to wake up." His father, Jeralt, noticing that Byleth was already awake and dressed in his travel clothes. "Were you having that dream again?" He asked casually, his battle-scarred face staring him down.

Jeralt was a seasoned mercenary. He had dirty blond hair cut short at the sides but a little bit longer on the top and back. The hair on the back of his head was always braided. He also wore a long blond beard with no mustache. It was a common appearance among mercenary commanders.

"I was dreaming of a young girl..." Byleth said, not wanting to give too much away, as he had already spoken of this with his father in the past. "You have described her to me before. I don't think I've ever met anyone like that." He threw his arms out as in defeat. "In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts." He looked at him with a stern face. "Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed."

Byleth knew his father was worried about him. Not wanting to disappoint his father he nodded reassuringly. "OK, time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom. I told you before it's far from here, so we'll need to leave at dawn." "Of course." Byleth agreed. Knowing his father would like his answer.

"Hm. Good grief. Everyone is already waiting for us outside." Jeralt said looking out of the window. Just as they both were about to get their belongings, one of Jeralt's mercenaries came bursting into the room.

"Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed." "What's happened?" Jeralt was already moving out. His voice that of a commander. Byleth followed swiftly, leaving the mercenary to cover the rear.

Once they got outside, Byleth was surprised to see three strangers. And by the looks of it they were a few years younger than he was. All three of them wore black uniforms with golden buttons and ornaments. Still Byleth noted that they wore different colored cloaks, gold, blue and red. The young man with the golden cloak was sun tanned with the piercing green eyes. He reminded Byleth of an almyran man he met in his travels in the past.

The other young man was fair looking. Gold hair fell upon his face, almost hiding his piercing blue eyes. He was also very pale and had the typical complexion of the people from the Kingdom in the north. He looked kind enough, but there was something about him that seemed off. The way his blue cloak was neatly positioned, reminded Byleth of a higher nobleman.

The third figure with the red cloak was a girl, with unusual silver hair and light purple eyes. She was very pale, but something told Byleth that she was not from the Kingdom. There was something mysterious about her, as if she was hiding something. She was beautiful. Byleth had seen other beautiful girls, but they had never awoken any kind of interest in him. This one though, he could not describe it, but he was drawn to her. It puzzled him.

Before he could reflect on it further, the blue cloaked stranger, spoke "Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire." His tone was alarmed. He spoke like a nobleman, just as Byleth had suspected it. "What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?" Jeralt asked.

"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support." Replied the blue cloaked stranger. "Bandits? Here?" Jeralt sounded surprised. "It's true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp." The mysterious girl said. Byleth noted that there was something in her voice, it sounded too mature for her age.

"We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered. They're after our lives... not to mention our gold" The golden cloaked stranger said in a manner that was calm but a bit too theatrical for Byleth's taste. He was sure Jeralt was thinking the same thing, if the quiet sigh he gave was any indication. If any of the strangers noticed it, they gave no sign of it.

"I'm impressed you're staying so calm considering the situation. I... Wait. Those uniforms..." Somehow Jeralt had just noticed the clothing the strangers were wearing. He flinched visibly widening his eyes. "Bandits spotted just outside the village! Damn... There are a lot of them." One of Jeralt's scouts informed.

The demeanor of Jeralt changed in an instant. "I guess they followed you all the way here. We can't abandon this village now." He turned for the first time to Byleth. „Come on, let's move. Hope you're ready." They had talked about giving Byleth a bit more responsibility as a mercenary commander. The next mission was supposed to be his to command. By the looks of it this was it. And to top it all, the strangers seemed to want to join them in battle. They were readying themselves with determined faces. Byleth pulled Jeralt aside. "You are not allowing the kids to battle with us, are you?" He said curiously. "Those kids are barely younger than you are." That stung.

"Still I don't think they should battle with us." Clearly Jeralt was out of his mind. Or Byleth was dreaming again. "Look, son. If you really want to succeed me as the commander mercenary one day, you will have to proof yourself a good leader." Jeralt smiled. "I have decided that you will lead those kids and battle alongside them." He had gone mad and this was not a dream.

"...That is how I am to proof to you I can lead? By battling with these strangers. I don't want to be responsible for their deaths." He was really confused. Jeralt would never allow a useless massacre if he could avoid it. Byleth didn't even know their names and he was supposed to trust them with his live?

"We will be right behind you. I will not let any of you to come to harm. You might be surprised." Jeralt was smiling again. He was clearly amused by Byleth's confusion. "...What are you talking about? You want me to battle the bandits on my own?" He was starting to get angry at his father.

"You will be accompanied by the kids." he must have seen the distressed look on Byleth's face "Look, those kids are students at Ga-" Jeralt started, but never got to finish as one of the strangers cut in. "We are ready when you are." Golden cloaked kid said. "My son will take charge of this operation. My mercenaries and I will watch closely and if we need to intervene, we will." Jeralt said reassuringly.

The strangers seemed to agree with Byleth, as the girl intervened. "Four against who knows how many...? Nothing against your son, I am sure he is a fine... mercenary" she said while she eyed him critically. "But I think my companions and I would agree that this is stretching our luck and-" she was saying but Jeralt cut in. "Do you want our help or not?"

"This is the help you get. My son is the finest swordsman there is, he will protect you with his live" He was staring straightly at Byleth. He knew this look. There was no turning back now. Byleth simply nodded. He was deeply confused and angry, but this was not the time to focus on anger. If Jeralt wanted him to proof his leadership qualities, then that's what Byleth was going to do. The strangers eyed the mercenary commander incredulously. They heard more shouting of scouts that had spotted the bandits. They had started to sack a few of the homes just outside of the village. It was time to go.

Byleth moved and the stranger followed swiftly almost soundlessly. The blue cloak stranger had a spear at his side, it was adorned with blue strings that hung at the end of the spear. It was a useless adornment in Byleth's opinion. It would do no good if it were to get stuck at the enemy's chest. The golden cloak stranger was an archer. His weapon of choice was not adorned in any way, which was a good sign. But he was playing and turning an arrow in his hand, he seemed eager to battle. The girl had an axe that seemed to be too heavy for her. Still she moved with elegance. Byleth feared that she would quit if she were to clip a nail or something.

„I am afraid that there is no time for formal introductions. I am Byleth. How am I to call you" asked Byleth. "Name's Claude" the golden cloaked stranger said smiling charmingly. "Dimitri" said the one with the blue cloak stranger struggling to decide if he should extend a hand or not. "I am Edelgard" said the girl looking at Byleth in the eye. Byleth nodded at them all. "Claude, Dimitri, Edelgard. You need to follow my every command. Believe me when I say your live is going to depend on it." He concluded.

As they carefully approached, they noted that the bandits were unorganized, messy not very observant. The four of them were able to strike with a sneak attack. Byleth took the front, slashing and disarming his opponents with ease with his sword and asked Edelgard and Dimitri to watch their sides and avoid that the bandits surround them. Claude's arrow met their marks with deadly accuracy. It seemed that Jeralt was right after all, the kids were still alive and more surprisingly they were keeping up with him.

Byleth remembered the strategy lessons: _Take down the enemies in front first. That should take the wind out of their sails._ Done and Done. The bandits were retreating and being more careful. Still there were a few idiots who thought they were going to be heroes. Byleth stepped aside parrying the blow of one such idiot, his back bumping Edelgard's. He twirled around to the right, just as she turned to his left, both disarming their opponents as if they were dancing.

Once they were finished dispatching the bandits, Byleth remembered the second strategy lesson. "We'll advance while protecting ourselves from the enemy. "Take up position inside the forest!" As they moved, Byleth was concerned about Claude. Forests weren't the best places for archers.

He felt a swoosh passing just above his head, his reflexes making him swirl low, sword ready for the attack. But instead there was a loud thud, and a bandit's scream. Claude had struck the bandit from the tree he was hiding on. "That was close. You can thank me later." Claude said with another charming half smile and a wink. Well then, that settled Byleths concerns.

As they quietly advanced, they reached the outskirts of the forest. They could hear a choleric man screaming nearby. "Damn! Why are there mercenaries in the village? Guess we'll have to deal with them too!" The group was near enough to organize a sneak attack. "That is the leader of this bandit band." Dimitri's voice barely louder than a whisper. Byleth nodded and said, "Be ready."

The leader turned around and Byleth charged. Claude gave him cover while Dimitri and Edelgard ambushed the nearest bandits. The bandit leader was able to parry Byleth's blow and backed up a few steps. "Hey, you with the blank stare! Out of my way!" He released a storm of blows in Byleth's directions, which were not very difficult to avoid. Byleth parried the last one using the bandits brute force to send him flying backwards. He landed on his back, and in his rage, he jumped back up and screamed. "I'm gonna kill you where you stand...!"

The nearest target was Edelgard and he charged at her like a bull at her with his axe. Edelgard was not paying attention and Byleth reacted too late. He ran to stop the attack, but he was only able to protect her with his body. The blade buried itself deep into Byleth's back. It was a death blow. He was in a lot of pain. He thought about how disappointed his father would be that he had failed.

A moment later... There was no pain. He could feel the blade still deep into his back. But he was not dead. As if time had stopped. "Honestly! What are you accomplishing with that little stunt? It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool." The voice was of the girl from his dreams. He turned around, and sure enough there she was, sitting on her throne on top of the familiar green lighted stairs. She looked awake and pissed. Her arms were crossed. A moment passed. He could no longer feel the blade on his back. He straightened up and saw the girl that he had often met his dreams.

Her green eyes looking at him with reproach. He did not know what to say or do. He was very confused. "Well, it's fine. After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, you're not going to protect it very well, are you? Course not." she said softening her gaze and untangling her arms. She stood up and continued walking down the stairs. "Well then, I guess it's up to me to guide you from now on, right? You can call me Sothis... but I am also known as The Beginning" She looked surprised.

"Hm. I was not able to recall my name... until just now." She said wondering. "And just like that, it came to me. How odd." She gazed at Byleth. "That look on your face... Did you think me a child? A mere child who forgot her own name?! Phooey! That 'child' just saved your life! And what does that make you?" She was angry again. Byleth did not know why, but he did not want her to increase that anger. He replied carefully. "I'm less than a child?" It seemed to do the trick; her face changed. She seemed almost happy after that statement.

"Correct! You understand." She crossed her arms again a bit more serious now. "You threw yourself before an axe to save just one young girl. Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened." she was awaiting something from him. Not daring to anger her again he complied "Thank you." Sothis was pleased.

"There now. Is gratitude too much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all." she paced now "Though it is only momentary, time stopped. However, did I manage that?" She was again deep in thought. "What will happen when time resumes?" Byleth wondered out loud. "When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end. How rude of you to drag me into this! Now what to do..." She was rubbing her chin. "Turn back the hands of time." It was the only logical answer he could come up with.

"Of course! I must turn back the hands of time." He never thought she would accept her answer just like that. "Yes, I do believe it can be done. You really are quite troublesome. I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time. Now, go..." he nodded but she added dramatically. "Yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers you seek..."

Byleth was being pulled backwards. Sothis was gone. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had just sent the bandit flying. This time around he knew what was coming and reacted in time to put his blade between the bandit and Edelgard. He sent the bandit flying again. "Huh?" was all Edelgard was able to muster.

"You'll die!" Shouted the bandit leader angrily, limping away. The rest of the bandit gang was also retreating. Byleth considered following them, but Claude drew his attention to him. "Hey! Over here." he and Dimitri were jogging to meet him and Edelgard. Jeralt was also approaching with a smile on his face. "Hey... Did you just-" Jeralt began but a thundering voice caught their attention.

"The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students!" A man with brown hair and beard. He was dressed in a white armor adorned with a white cape. "Hey! The thieves are running away. Go after them!" he commanded his knights. Then he turned to the group. "The students seem to be unharmed. And... who's this?" Jeralt who was standing behind Byleth, let a loud sigh. "Ugh... Why him?" It was all he said.

"Captain Jeralt? It is you! Goodness, it's been ages. Don't you recognize me? It's Alois! Your old right-hand man!" Jeralt made a face. But Alois did not seem to have noticed it. "Well, that's how I always thought of myself anyway. It must have been 20 years ago that you went missing without a trace! I always knew you were still alive!" He was excited to see Jeralt.

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever. And drop that 'captain' nonsense. I'm not your captain anymore. These days I'm just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do. Goodbye old friend." Jeralt was eager to get away from this Alois. Byleth knew it was an excuse to get out of there as soon as possible. His father clearly did not want to be around this 'old friend'. Which was curious, his father always took time to at least drink a few pints of ale with 'old friends' he just met.

"Right... Goodbye, Captain." Alois looked disappointed. "Wait! That isn't how this end! I insist that you return to the monastery with me!" He shouted. Jeralt sighed. "Garreg Mach Monastery... I suppose this was inevitable." he gave Byleth an uncertain look. Alois noticed it. "And how about you, kid? Are you the captain's child?" If Jeralt did not want to go, he must have his reasons. Maybe he should also try to get out of it. "I'm a bandit."

"Great sense of humor, this one. Clearly cut from the same cloth as the captain" Alois laughed out loud. "I'd love for you to see the monastery too. You will join me, won't you?" Well, he had tried. He nodded and Jeralt let out another sigh. Alois must have noticed it "What's troubling you, Captain? You aren't about to run off again, are you?" As a matter of fact, Jeralt had considered it. But as he got busted, he did not have a choice now. "Even I wouldn't dare to run from the Knights of Seiros." He said defeated.

With that the odd group went to prepare for the trip to Garreg Mach.


	2. White Clouds - Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 1)**

Garreg Mach Monastery was located in the heart of Fódlan. The land had been declared a neutral territory long ago. It was the headquarters of the Church of Seiros, which made it a very important religious site. And it was also home to the Officers Academy, that helped to form and forge the future leaders of the nations. The academy was run by the archbishop of the church herself, so that there were no preferences among the students of the different nations. It was also home of an elite order of knights called the Knights of Seiros, in honor to Saint Seiros, who defeated someone evil in the past.

Byleth was not a religious man, he was not familiar with any of the fables and myths of the church. He had mostly heard about the church during his travels with their fellow devout mercenaries, but he had never paid much attention to whatever they would tell him. Jeralt had never bothered to teach religion to him, and honestly, he had also never been curious about it either. Alois made it seem as if it was a great honor to be invited to the center of religion in Fódlan, but all Byleth was able to feel was annoyance.

During the two-day trip to their destination he found himself often regretting agreeing to come along. All he wanted was a little bit of peace and quiet. Alois, on the other hand, had other ideas. There was not any way to stop his rambling. He told, or rather shouted, Jeralt all about his adventures, missions and ascent of ranks of the Knights of Seiros. Poor Jeralt was enduring it all bravely, with a headache to be sure. Byleth had one, and he was not even talked to.

As he tried to escape Alois's thunderous chatter, he found himself caught in between the conversations the students he had 'saved' were sharing. They had tried to gain Byleth's favor to join their ranks. He was at first puzzled by this, but after he had heard what the Officers Academy was made for, he supposed they were going to be leaders of some kind in the future. Still these were times of peace, so it gave him an uneasy feeling for the future leaders to be asking for his assistance as a hired sword.

His pull to Edelgard was enhanced further during their short travel. He caught himself walking or sitting beside her. Or even turning his head once she spoke, while he did not even acknowledge the boys most of the time. It was all involuntarily and unthinkingly; it was just natural.

This was pointed out to him by someone on the rear of the group. _You are staring at her again._ The familiar female singsong voice had said followed by a girlish giggle. He turned around to see who had said it, but all female mercenaries were too far away to have said that. He shrugged it off, thinking he had just imagined it. Still after that moment he noticed his attentions to the student, as if there was someone there to point it out.

He had tried to ignore the odd feeling and focused to study each of the students carefully instead. Claude had a smile that was striking, but it never reached his eyes. Dimitri looked sincere, but he felt a lot of darkness lurking beneath the facade. Edelgard was a refined young woman, but he felt as if she was always evaluating him.

From the conversations he had with the students during the trip here, he found out more about the political situation of the continent. For example, he learned that all three of the nations regarded the Church highly, and most of their decisions were sent there to be approved by the organization. And in his personal experience, there were a lot of things that were not right in Fódlan. Too much poverty, while the rich people only got richer as an example.

He was often asked his opinion on some topics, to which he did not answer, or he ignored the questions altogether. Not because he was not interested, but he was never the most conversational person to begin with. Another reason was that he often did not have an answer or an opinion on the subject.

His education had consisted in weapon and strategy training. He had mastered the art of combat with almost every weapon, and he could plan an attack with deathly accuracy. He could read the battlefield like a book and adapt to it in an instant. Jeralt had also taught him diplomacy, to avoid unnecessary battles and bloodshed. But his studies contained very little about politics of the three lands and nothing about religion.

The students did not comment on his silence, and they really tried to find a topic he would be comfortable with. Still in the end, he did not need them to, as he was certain that he would not see them again once they left the monastery.

At some point, the trees parted revealing a grand collection of buildings on top of the mountains. The whole structure looked like a castle. "There it is. Garreg Mach Monastery." He heard Edelgard saying softly but not proudly. She was standing on a high rock studying the fortress ahead. Byleth mimicked her notion and looked at the structures.

The monastery was built on top of steep mountains, which made it easy to defend. It had outer walls surrounding parts of the mountains that made the access to the buildings even more difficult. He could only see one lonely road to the entrance of the high walls guarding the premises. He was sure there would be at least two other entry points. It would make sense to have one entrance for each nation. All Fódlan's nations were territorial, guarding their borders with patrols and controls rigorously.

As they neared the first of the archway entrance of the outer wall, Byleth noted they were made from massive rocks. He spotted guards dressed shiny metal armor patrolling on top of it. There were surely checkpoints or weapon storerooms somewhere along the walls, but he was not able to spot them. Maybe they were built inside the walls, as they were large enough for at least two carriages to stand underneath the archway.

The guards at the gate stopped them to ask what business brought them there. To which Alois boomed, that he had invited them, as they were dear old friends. He exaggerated as he explained how valiantly Jeralt and his group had saved the missing students. Still the mercenaries were checked them thoroughly for weapons. Once the ordeal was done for, the gates were opened, and they stared the climb up to the monastery.

A while later, they entered the courtyard of the monastery. He walked alongside his father. "Rhea is here." He was looking up at a high balcony. There was a woman with green hair standing there. She was wearing some sort of tiara or crown and a cloak. Byleth could not be sure, it was hard to see from the distance. Byleth was confused, Jeralt had never before mentioned anything about Garreg Mach or his time as the captain of the Knights of Seiros.

"It's been years since I've last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now..." Jeralt said sadly. "Her?" Byleth could not stop himself asking. "You saw her in the courtyard, earlier didn't you? The archbishop... Lady Rhea" Byleth had the feeling that Jeralt was not telling him everything. The sadness in his voice was uncommon.

"I've never spoken of this to you before, but... many years ago, I was a knight here. I reported to the archbishop..." He paused. "Lady Rhea?" Byleth did not want Jeralt to stop talking, so he pushed his father with that question. "As you now know, most folks in Fódlan are devout followings of the teaching of Seiros. The leader of that ridiculously large organization is the archbishop, Lady Rhea." They were entering the second floor of one of the buildings.

Byleth noted that there were rooms that appeared to be offices down the hall. They were lead away of those presumed offices to enter, what in Byleth's opinion, looked like a throne room. Before Jeralt could tell him more, a man walked in. He introduced himself as Sethet and he made clear that he was the right-hand man of Rhea. He also had green eyes and dark green hair and a bit of hair under his chin. He spoke rudely to them, clearly distrusting them. His welcome was not a warm one.

Lady Rhea entered the room. Her hair was a lighter green tone than Sethet's, which she wore long and well styled. On top of her head sat a thin copper tiara, adorned with hearts, flowers and diamonds. She wore a long white dress and a light blue and brown cape on top of her shoulders. Her expression was calm but curious. The color of her eyes matched her hair perfectly.

She greeted Jeralt with a kind smile. And she was curious about Byleth, she asked very direct questions like his name and if he was Jeralt's child. To which Jeralt answered that they had lost his mother a long time ago because of illness. Byleth did not respond or react to that, since he did not know much about his mother. He did not even know her name.

Rhea asked Jeralt to rejoin the Knights of Seiros and offered a teaching position to Byleth. Sethet protested of course, he made it clear again that he did not like the newcomers and pointed out that they may not be trustworthy. Lady Rhea pretty much told him to shut up, and that it was her decision. Byleth and Jeralt had no other choice but to accept, as it came directly from maybe the most powerful person in the continent.

He never thought of becoming anything else but a mercenary. To be forced to be a professor felt wrong. What could he teach the students other than weaponry and tactics? He was not fit to be a teacher. He was sure that the students already knew more than him. Besides, he was young enough to be a student himself.

The other two teachers at the monastery had been summoned to the room. Manuela was a woman in her mid-thirties. Her brown died hair was cut short and she wore way too much makeup, attempting to look younger than she was. Hanneman was a smart looking man in his forties with grey hair and beard.

They greeted him warmly and were overall very nice to him. Manuela started flirting with the new professor to which Hanneman quickly reproached her. After a few minutes of bickering between the two of them, they started their explanation on how the school was managed.

The students were divided in three houses representing the three nations in Fódlan: the Black Eagles led by Edelgard with students from the Adrestian Empire, the Blue Lions led by Dimitri with students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Golden Deer led by Claude with students from the Leicester Alliance. Each of the teachers would pick a House and teach it until the year ended. They would also be sent to missions, so that the students would gain some battle and leadership experience on the field.

Lady Rhea then asked Byleth to go and get acquainted with the students, so that he could be able to choose his house.

* * *

He did speak with every student in the monastery as an alibi. He was honestly not interested in getting to know any of them, except perhaps for one certain girl, but he had yet to meet her again. He needed time to sort his thoughts out. It was exhausting talking to all these teenagers, some were rude to him, others just flirted with him thinking he was also a student, some were just plain arrogant talking about their nobility. He sat on a bench and sighed.

He sat there for a few minutes when he heard someone approaching him. He looked up and saw Edelgard sitting down next to him. "So, you've accepted a teaching position here... Pity. I was hoping you would lend your strength to the Empire." She seemed disappointed. "I never properly introduced myself, did I? My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire." She seemed conflicted, but she tried hard to hide it. "I wonder if you'll be tasked with teaching the Black Eagles..." He just stared at her. He had trouble showing any kind of emotion, and it unnerved most of the people he met. But it did not seem to bother her at all.

"...What can you tell me about the students of the Black Eagles?" He had already spoken to most of them and had made his own opinion about them. But for some reason he wanted to keep talking to her. _It must be this magnetic pull I feel for her. It is very hard to avoid._ He reasoned with himself. He heard a _Pffft. Yeah right._ somewhere around the grounds. Thinking it was just a female student passing by, he decided to ignore it.

"Normally the Black Eagles House stands out because the students are usually heavy magic users. The Black Eagles this year have an unusual mix of people with different skills." She turned to face the new professor. "Hubert, Dorothea and Lindhardt are hoping to become able sorcerers and healers." She said. "Ferdinand is a skilled spearman and lancer, although he is convinced that the skill comes from his noble blood, which is ridiculous." She frowned and Byleth could sense a hidden anger that she was trying desperately to hide.

"Petra's great with a sword and bow. She is the heir of Brigid. An archipelago in western Fódlan which has become a vassal state of the Adrestian Empire." Her words were carefully picked. Byleth was almost sure she meant to say that Petra being here, was a way to keep Brigid from rebelling the Empire.

"Caspar is the youngest son of House Berglietz and as he cannot hope for an inheritance, he wants to proof himself worthy of becoming a knight one day. He can be… a hothead sometimes." She smiled apologetically. Byleth had noted this too. He had conversed with Caspar earlier, and he believed he was the kind of guy that acts first and asks questions later.

"And there is Bernadetta... She'll always hit the bull's eye in the archery range when she thinks nobody is watching." Edelgard gave him an amused smile. "She's… a little shy. But has a great heart." Byleth reflected a moment. Maybe she was referring to the girl with purple hair that went running away as soon as she saw him approaching.

"And what about you?" He asked her, his question caught her off guard. Her surprised face made him even more curious than before. "You have already seen me in battle... You should already have an opinion about me." She was being cautious. "True… But still, I would like to know more."

"Well...some think I am a bit distant. Arrogant, even. But there is little to be done. One day, I must rise to become Adrestia's next emperor. What else... Well, it seems to me that we may have similar personalities." She said looking at him critically choosing her words carefully.

He was not sure what se meant by that. _Well, she stared at you as much as she stared at her._ This time he almost jumped at the voice. The person was behind him, talking to his ear. He moved a bit to peek behind him, but from the corner of his eye he found no one. It was odd. Edelgard was staring at him, possibly waiting for a reaction from his side, so he blurted the first thing that came to mind out.

"You are the heir of the Empire and thus a noble yourself. And yet you seem to dislike nobility..." He wanted to find out why she had that hidden anger, so his question was not a terrible one. "I... So, you caught on it." She sighed. "I do not dislike nobility, just the ways of it. Lords choosing an heir because they wear a Crest - "

"Crest?" He cut in. He felt silly for asking. "Yes, some believe that Crest are blessings from the Goddess. They are inherited by blood and increase the holder's strength or magic aptitude, giving them an edge over others." She explained looking at him curiously.

"I noticed, you do not care much about politics or religion while we were traveling together." The question felt like a counterattack. "Ah… so, you caught on that." he replied mimicking her statement from before. She waited a few moments.

"You know, Professor, the bandit leader was kind of right. You have a blank stare and show very little emotion on your face." She pointed out. "It is almost impossible to read your face." She said. "No offense intended." She added as an afterthought.

He was amused by the statement. Sensing that he still owed her an answer he started. "To answer your first question, it is true that my strengths and skills lay elsewhere. I was educated in the battlefield, not in a classroom or with actual teachers." He said honestly. It was all he wanted to say about it. He was not ashamed of it, but it was what concerned him upon being forced to be a teacher.

"And I have never been able to show emotion." Jeralt had told him this on repeated occasions, joking he was a very easy baby to raise. He was not certain why he had cared to answer at all. "I see." She answered rubbing her chin deep in thought. After a moment of peaceful silence, he felt like he should take his leave.

"I must go and report to Lady Rhea. Thank you for your time, Your Highness. If you'll excuse me." He stood up. He started looking around to find the way came from. He saw her cringe at that last part. He was about to ask her on it, but she had already turned around and was walking the other direction.

Byleth was trying to find his way to Lady Rhea's throne room but he kept getting lost. The monastery was huge. There were training courts, halls, classrooms, dining halls, a ball room, a cathedral, stables, a cemetery, and who knows what else. He would not be surprised if there was more in this monastery that the eye could meet. He finally gave up trying to find his way on his own and asked a friendly guard at the entrance of the gates for directions. He gladly pointed him in the right direction, and he corrected him that it was no throne room it was an audience chamber.

* * *

Lady Rhea was waiting him before her 'throne'. Sethet, Hanneman and Manuela there too. With a smile Rhea asked "How are you enjoying your time the academy thus far? I hope you have found our halls brimming with the vitality of well-intentioned souls." Byleth just nodded. Sethet was the next one to speak. "Hm. I suppose it is time for you to take charge of one of our three houses of students. I must note that I am personally against entrusting someone as lacking in trackable history as yourself with such a task, but it is as the archbishop desires."

At times like this he felt blessed that he was not able to show any kind of emotion upon his face. _I don´t like that man._ He thought to himseld. _I do not like either both of them._ The female voice again. She was reffering to Sethet and the archbishop. Was he being followed? He stopped himself before he could turn around.

"The Black Eagles, the Blue Lions and the Golden Deer... All so different. I hope you've made it a point to get to know each of them." Said Manuela oblivious to his lack of attention. He nodded, but it was not true. He did not give a damn about any of them. He and his father were being forced to stay here, so why should he? "Since you are new here, we have decided to allow you first pick. Manuela and I will take charge of the remaining two houses." Hanneman smiled at him.

"I had given it a lot of consideration" he lied. "And to be sure I would have liked a bit more time to get to know the students better." Another lie. "Still as the choice has to be made today, I must rely on my intuition." That at least that was true.

"I would like to teach the Black Eagles." He said finally. His choice was an easy one and it would give him the time he needed to try and untangle the mystery of his pull to Edelgard. "Your hearth has made its choice, then." Rhea smiled raising her arms dramatically. "All I ask is that you guide these open minds with virtue, care and sincerity." She was looking at him intently, as if she had caught him lying. He just nodded at her unflinchingly.

"There is something you should be aware of. In a few days' time, there will be a mock battle between the three houses, intended to gauge the current progress of the students. We will be using this battle as an opportunity to ascertain your own abilities as well. Please do not disappoint the archbishop." Sethet said. "That is all." He said waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

* * *

The next morning, he went to his new houseroom to present himself to his students. They were all there, chatting among themselves while waiting to find out who their teacher would be. Once he entered the room, the conversations died out. They all turned to look at him, different reactions were playing out. He waited awkwardly for a moment.

Finally, a light blue haired teen with matching eyes spoke. "Wait. So, our new professor is...you?! I didn't see that one coming." He was shaking his head in disbelief. Byleth was not sure if it was a good sign or not.

"Easy, Caspar. Aren't you being a bit rude?" The very feminine girl with brown hair and striking green eyes responded. He did not remember her name. Was it Theodora? No, that was not it. He sighed mentally; he would have to learn all their names now.

"You know it's a waste of time to expect politeness from him." A dark green haired boy with dark blue eyes responded to her. He turned to face the new Professor. "It will be a pleasure learning from you, Professor. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a nap." He turned yawning loudly and headed to the nearest desk.

Byleth followed him with his eyes. As he passed beside the purple haired girl with grey eyes that had run away from him the previous day. Once she realized that Byleth was looking in her general direction she jumped around to face the wall behind her. "Ah! Don't look at me like that! Oh, and...please don't talk to me too much either." She was shivering. This must be Bernadetta.

He stared at her back for a few moments, pondering if he really was so terrifying with his emotionless face. No other students seemed to be bothered by it… He heard a loud sigh. The nameless girl looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry for the chaos you've walked into..."

The orange head with matching eyes talked next. "I hear we are rather close in age, Professor. I hope you do not mind if we treat you like one of us. In our class, we try to treat each other as equals, despite any differences in age or status. Personally, I would love to include you in that inner circle." Ferdinand. His name came immediately to mind. They had shared a short conversation yesterday. He was of the annoying ones talking about nobility and his rightful duties as a noble.

Equals. He had to ponder on the notion. Nobody other than his father has ever treated him as an equal. He was not entirely sure what that meant. He took a moment to look at the students. Almost all looked at him expectantly. "I don't mind at all." He finally said nodding to them.

"You have a gut, Professor. I will take great joy from your teachings." Another girl with purple hair and pink eyes said. She had a tattoo under her right eye. "Petra, I believe you mean to say that our professor has guts. That's a bit different from having a gut. You can't go around saying someone so slim and attractive has a gut!" The nameless girl said. As she winked at him, he remembered yesterday's conversation with her. Dorothea.

"Oh? Please take my apologies. I have not yet mastered this language." Petra said lowering her head. Dorothea nudged her with her elbow, a gesture that Byleth could only deem as comforting.

"Professor, I want you to know that it's perfectly acceptable for you to treat me as you do the others." Edelgard interjected. "I may be the Imperial Princess, but here at the academy, I'm just another student." She continued smiling at him.

"That said, know that I have high expectations of you. And high hopes. But I'm certain you can lead the Black Eagle House to greatness." Her expression changed to a evaluating one once again. Byleth was getting used to that look.

"Sure, sure. Now, let's break the ice with a training session! I want to see our new teacher in action." Caspar said throwing a punch out. "Why will the ice be broken? Is this a custom I have missed in my studies?" Petra asked confused. "Not real ice, just the ice of...um... Well, it just means let's get to know each other." Caspar tried to explain.

Byleth heard a shriek. Bernadetta had turned around but was still shivering. "I don't want to train! Let's stay in the classroom and... learn from a book." "Let's all calm down and have a nice cup of tea, how about? Doesn't that sound lovely, Professor?" Dorothea was trying to ignore the snores coming from the green haired boy's sleeping behind her. Byleth tried to remember his name, once again using the conversation he with him yesterday as a reference. This would be surely Lindhardt, the napping boy.

"I know we all agreed to treat each other as equals, but there is a limit to what I can tolerate. The esteemed Black Eagle House requires order." Ferdinand said charmingly, opening a can of worms. All of them started to bicker and gesture among themselves. Even Lindhardt who did not appreciate that he was disturbed from his sleep. Bernadetta was sweating, trying to get away from them.

Byleth was watching the students blankly. He heard a chuckle behind him. "Looks like your first job will be to quiet down this racket. I don't envy you." The tall black-haired man with one visible yellow man. He was staring at Byleth, evaluating his reaction. This must be Hubert.

"Ugh, they're not normally this...rowdy. I do hope you can manage, Professor." Edelgard said covering her face with her gloved hand. Byleth stared at her for a moment and nodded. He walked past them towards his new desk at the end of the room, none of the bickering students noticing him.

Once he reached it, he leaned on it watching the students still at it. He grabbed some chalk from one of the drawers and started to break it to little pieces, one for each student who was not seated. Hubert caught on his plan first, as he had been watching intently ushering Edelgard to take a seat at one of the desks. An unsuspecting Bernadetta had finally been able to escape and was sighing contently once she was seated.

Byleth took a deep breath and launched each piece of chalk. His aim was true. Each bit stuck its target almost simultaneously, Ferdinand's struck on the back of his head, Dorothea' and Petra's on their cheeks, Lindhardt' and Caspar's on their foreheads. The students looked around confused. The racket was effectively calmed down.

"Now that I have your attention, I will ask you kindly to take a seat. Please refrain to bicker like this during class, or I will not send something as harmless as chalk your way." He said emotionlessly. He crossed his arms in front of them as the students hurried to take a seat. Edelgard looked amused, Hubert did not seem to care for his statement and Bernadetta looked like she had just seen a ghost.

"My name is Byleth Eisner, and tough we have agreed on treating each other as equals, I would prefer if you would call me 'Professor' or 'Teacher'." He said looking at each of them. "I will be honest with you, I am not sure if I will be up to any of your expectations, as I am not standing here on my own free will." He said looking at Edelgard, her reaction was difficult to interpret. "But since it is required from me, I will try my best to teach you anything I can."

"As you may or may not know, in a few days' time, the academy will be holding a mock battle." He said, some of the students nodded. "We will start by preparing for this mock battle. First, I want to see how skilled you are in battle." He said. "So, let's go to the training grounds." He said walking to the exit.

* * *

Once there he instructed to pair up and spar against one another as a warmup. He watched intently measuring each of the student's physical condition and taking notes on a black journal.

"All right, you can stop now." He shouted after about 30 minutes of sparing. "Go drink some water and those who use weapons, come back with your chosen training weapons." The students were already going to the banks, whipping sweat out of their foreheads. It was not a very encouraging sight. "Each of you will spar with me individually." He said as he eyed each of them. Bernadetta cringed visibly, while Lindhardt groaned.

This was one tactic that Jeralt used with his new recruits, to see if they were good enough for the squad. He noted the weaknesses and the strengths of his students down in the same journal. He would often correct them, telling them how to improve their stances or how to better hold their weapons.

When Caspar's turn came, he charged right away with his wooden axe. Byleth just took a step aside, leaving his foot to linger long enough to trip his student. Caspar landed flat on his face but got up quickly and charged again. His pose was open to counterattack, so Byleth did.

Ducking low to let the axe harmlessly pass by, he launched the hilt of his wooden sword to the student's stomach. Caspar hit the ground hard on his back, gasping for air. Byleth was disappointed, most of the noble students were already somewhat trained, but this one seemed to have skipped all of the lessons.

Another one that needed to work on pretty much everything was Bernadetta. Edelgard had been right, she was shy. She was shivering and shaking once it was her turn. She apologized for everything and at one point she even dropped her bow and arrows, to which she reacted by also dropping to the ground and play dead. He would have laughed hard if he were not in charge to prepare her to battle.

The last one was Edelgard. She picked the wooden training axe and took position. Beth waited patiently until she lunged forward. He blocked her blow and swirled around, while she swung her axe to meet his back. Byleth blocked it easily, diving low and kicking her leg to throw her off balance. She fell, but no before she managed to trap Byleth's cloak to the floor with her wooden axe. He tried to roll out of her way, but he was unable to avoid her falling body on top of him.

He let out a "Oooff", as her elbow connected to his stomach. He lost his grip of the sword. A moment passed; it was an awkward position. Her back was half on top of him, half on the ground. Their legs were intertwined somehow.

He tried to get up, but she had similar ideas. They fumbled with each other's legs, effectively blocking each other. Byleth was painfully conscious that her lower half was right on top of his, and to be honest, he did not want her to get up at all. But they were not alone, and he was now her teacher.

So Byleth decided to go limb, so that Edelgard could roll out to the ground and get to her knees. She was blushing. Byleth reached behind him, releasing his cloak from the axe. He rolled back, putting his hands beside his ears and knees to his stomach, using the momentum to kick up to his feet. He remembered that the rest of the students were staring.

He turned calmly to Edelgard who was already on her feet and dusting off some dirt from her uniform. "You OK?" He asked, picking his sword up. "Yes, Professor." She answered reaching for her axe.

"In a real battle you should have just kept fighting on the ground. You cannot just stop like that. Your enemy is not going to give you any chance to politely get up." He said, raising his voice a little. "What would you have done if I had grabbed your neck and started to choke you?" He waited for an answer.

"I..." She stared at him. "If you need to think this long on the battlefield, you would be dead by now." He interrupted loud enough for the class to hear. She frowned. "To get out of a situation like that, you should have used any available body part to get a hit on your opponent." He started.

"You could have used your elbow to hit my stomach again, or even slam your butt to my groin. That would guarantee your release from me and any man." She was blushing again, and the students behind her were also blushing or chuckling. With the exception from Hubert who was glaring daggers at him. Was it something he said? He decided to ignore it. "Let's try again!" He said taking his stance.

After a few more rounds, where he managed to stay on his feet, he announced that the next day they would talk about constructing a strategy. With that he dismissed the class. The students quickly left, but Edelgard did not, giving Hubert a sign that he should leave without her.

"Professor. May I speak to you freely?" She asked. Byleth was picking the discarded weapons up. He had noticed her interaction with Hubert. "I would prefer if you would always speak to me freely." "What you said back there." She was blushing again. "About my butt hitting your groin... It is not a proper thing to say around here." She seemed uncomfortable. "Ah.. So that is why. All of you girls were blushing. Bernadetta seemed close to fainting." He chuckled. "The boys were all grinning like fools, except for Hubert. Now I understand why." He really was amused.

"It is not something to laugh at." She snapped. "There are rules on etiquette that say..." Byleth interrupted her again holding a hand up. "I was not raised with etiquette. I was raised with a sword in hand and the rules of the mercenary." He said, putting the weapons back to their shelves. "So, I noticed, Professor." She sighed. "Maybe I could teach you some etiquette." she offered.

"Hm. Does the way I speak make you uncomfortable?" He stared at her amused. "That's not it. You should know that." She turned around and took a few steps to leave, clearly misunderstanding his emotional state. "Then what is it?" He called after her softly. She stopped looking back. "I learned a lot from you today. How to better grab my axe and ways to escape when I am choked on the ground." She smiled at him blushing at the memory. "I doubt I could have learned that from Professor Manuela or Hanneman." She said.

"I do not want you to be dismissed from your position because of your choice words." He was surprised. He thought she was taking that earlier statement to another direction. Maybe he could learn from her too. About politics and all other general knowledge, he lacked.

"OK. I will take you on your offer then. How about every other day after class?" He forgot for a moment that he wanted an out of his position. He was willing to learn from her, not only for her knowledge, but maybe it gave him a chance to get to know her better. "Very well then. I will see you tomorrow after class in the library." She seemed pleased. "OK then. Go get some rest." He said nodding to her.

* * *

After borrowing some maps from the library, Byleth developed a strategy based on his student's abilities overnight. He believed that they would turn out victorious on this mock battle, but he highly doubted that they would survive in a real battle. He had a lot of tactics to teach them, and they had a lot of room for improvement. Once the class began, they paid close attention to the strategy he proposed. Hubert asked a lot of questions about it.

Byleth felt as if he was being scanned by this young man. He only stopped questioning him once Edelgard elbowed him on the side. Once the briefing about the strategy was done, he directed the students to the training grounds. They drilled the strategy with dummies a few times.

"Remember, our opponents will not stand still in the battle. They will have their own strategy, so we may have to change ours on the go. Follow my lead and we will win this thing." Byleth said after practice. "Let's do our best!" Caspar shouted.

"I will be being attacked, but I will not be losing!" Petra said. Byleth found the statement amusing, the way she spoke was cute. "That is not right, Petra." Dorothea said. She had been constantly flirting with him and wore her uniform a bit more revealing as it was intended. "What she means to say is that we will not lose this battle with you at our side, professor." She winked at him.

"A bright future depends on my strength as a noble. We are sure to be victorious." Said Ferdinand he was smart chivalrous. But Byleth found his nobility talk annoying. It was exhausting to hear how his ability was all due to his noble blood. "Can we go home now?" Bernadette said, she was looking to the ground. "We are done now, right?" She seemed ready to sprint away.

"Bernadetta! How rude..." Lindhardt interjected, earning a shriek from her. "The professor has not dismissed us yet; you can at least wait for it." He said yawning. "Although I would like to go and take a long nap."

"This is not the time to run away or take naps." Hubert reprimanded them both. "We still have work to do, and we are hardy done now." Hubert said scaring Bernadetta who tried to run away. He was standing near Edelgard, which made Byleth curious.

"Professor, do you think this strategy will work?" He asked his teacher with a scary grin. "Hubert, stop it. He is the head of this house, and we need to trust him to lead us in the right direction." Edelgard cut in before Byleth was able to answer the question. "I have already seen what he can do in battle with just students as aids. He saved us all from those bandits." She reprimanded him. "Certainly, Lady Edelgard." Hubert answered as he bowed to her.

Byleth dared to hope that maybe Hubert was nothing more than a faithful servant. He quickly disregarded the thought. "Yes, we still have a lot to work on. Tomorrow we need to keep refining your battle skills. We will go through the strategy again, this time I will ask my father's mercenaries to join us to go through a few real scenarios." Byleth explained.

"It will be hard on you. But by the time the battle arrives, you will be happy to have had the experience." He concluded. "Bring it on! I can't wait till tomorrow." Caspar boomed. "Get some rest, and we will meet here tomorrow morning." Byleth said to the group, turning around starting to put the dummies and the training weapons away. He heard footsteps leaving the training grounds.

"Need some help?" Edelgard asked from behind him. He turned around. She was already picking some weapons up. Hubert was also there. "Allow me to clean this up for you, Lady Edelgard. You should get some rest." Hubert took the weapons off her hands and motioned to go on. "Thank you, Hubert." With that she turned and left the grounds, but not before she turned one last time to glance at her Professor.

The two of them worked in silence. Once they were done, Hubert asked "A word, Professor?" "What's on your mind Hubert?" Byleth turned to him. "Hmm. Doesn't seem intimidated." Byleth heard him say under his breath. "Something wrong?" Byleth answered.

"No, not at all." Hubert replied. Byleth just crossed his arms in front of his chest waiting for him to say something. "You see, Lady Edelgard has taken something of an interest in you." Hubert finally said. "I don't think so." Byleth replied, not sure what to think about his statement.

"She has. And it's beneath you to be so glib." Hubert said still showing that same creepy smile. "There is something you need to understand about the role I play here." Hubert continued also crossing his arms, mimicking Byleth. "One of my many duties is to determine potential advantages and potential threats to Her Highness." He took two steps forward.

"If you prove yourself useful to Lady Edelgard, then all will be well." He dropped his arms and closed his fists. "If you pose a threat... I shall dispose of you." Byleth was used to threats. But he could not believe that young man was threatening him. "Dispose of me?" He asked with a matching tone to Hubert's.

"Yes. This is no joke. While I may be a student here, I am her servant first and foremost. Therefore, if an untimely demise is not to your liking, you would do well to demonstrate your utility with all haste." He smiled that a creepy smile again. He was trying very hard to be intimidating.

"I should warn you that I am far less compromising than Lady Edelgard. Do not be at ease merely because you stand in her good graces for the time being." It was now the time for Byleth to smile what he thought was a creepy one. "I'm not worried." He replied taking a step forward. "Ha! Such confidence. I'm beginning to see why you caught her eye." Was Hubert's response.

"My family, House Vestra has been sworn to House Hresvelg for generations. Since the dawn of the Empire, we have worked to protect the emperor by any means necessary - both in the open and in the shadows. If you incur our wrath, you will see just what I mean." Hubert turned and left.

Byleth was amused, while a threat was a threat, he could not take this one seriously. He just shook his head in amusement and left the grounds. He did not want to be late to his first lesson with Edelgard.


	3. White Clouds - Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, dear readers!
> 
> I hope you are all healthy and fine.
> 
> Thank you again for your continued support.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 2)**

His lessons with Edelgard were exhausting. He never thought there were so many rules about how to sit correctly, or to greet correctly and to talk correctly. Hell, there were even rules on how to eat correctly. That fork for this, the other knife for that. He was starting to regret agreeing to attend these lessons at all.

Edelgard seemed to enjoy their lessons, as she laughed often at his clueless face. She still had to share anything that would be categorized as personal with him. Their talks were about war strategies and politics. But he was contempt that, she would trust to him eventually, or at least he hoped so.

One evening, Lysithea a member of the Golden Deer walked in on one of their lessons. She observed quietly from the back. Edelgard and Byleth only noticed her once he managed to drop his fork and fumbled miserably to catch it before it fell to the ground and making a lot of noise.

Edelgard seemed frustrated, but Lysithea laughed. After a moment both of them were laughing, while Byleth was enjoying their laughter amused. It was the first time he saw Edelgard laugh so carelessly. After that incident, Lysithea was always a faithful observer of their lessons, and even gave advise from time to time.

Lysithea was the youngest of the students. She also had silver hair like Edelgard, and her eyes were pink. She was a sweet girl that was aching to prove herself useful and able. She did not like to be coddled. Still she was a private shy girl, who inspired others to protect her. Byleth found himself greeting her every morning when he saw her. He quickly found out that she really liked sweets, so he saved his desserts at dinner to give them to her.

When he got the chance, he asked her how her studies were going. She replied that she felt as she was being left in the shadow by her other comrades. She was after all the youngest of the students at Garreg Mach. It did not sit right with him, as he tried to equally attend his students needs, and he thought the other teachers would do the same.

One night after his lessons with Edelgard, Lysithea asked if he could accompany her to the door of her room. "I do not want to go all alone, and your company would be really appreciated." He saud to him. He had his reservations, but agreed, nonetheless. "...So, can I assume that if I am to accompany you, that you are afraid of something?" He asked carefully on their way. Her answer left him amused.

"Ghost." She had said honestly. "The monastery is a bit unnerving to me at night." She continued. "Can we fill the silence with some chatter, please?" she asked shyly. He was unable to find any topic, so he just looked at her. "What would you have me say?" He asked. He really did not know what to tell her or what to ask her. He was always a silent kind of guy who was not comfortable starting a casual conversation.

"I've noticed for quite some time now; you treat all your students equally. I am thankful that you have never treated me differently simply because I am younger than the others." She offered. "I've always appreciated that." She smiled at him.

"You are another student. And age is of no meaning to me." He said. In truth, he had learned to never judge another person because of age, as he was not certain about his own. After a little more chatter, they got to the door of her room, he wished her a goodnight and went to his room.

_The girl seems unhappy with her class. Oh! I know, why don't you invite her to yours?_ Sothis exclaimed excitedly to him. She had manifested herself after his first lesson with Edelgard. It had been a shock at first, but he was getting used to her untimely comments.

Ever since, she was constantly on his mind, watching was he was seeing and manifesting herself from time to time in his room or reading all his thoughts and memories. He could feel what she felt, anger, joy, exitement, etc.

They were both puzzled as to why she was in his mind. And they had made a silent agreement that they would find out.

The most annoying and difficult part was that she was very mischievous, she would mock him for his attraction to Edelgard every chance she got. He had tried to explain the 'pull', and he could feel that she understood it well enough. But it was no use.

_Not a bad idea at all._ He responded with his thoughts. He needed to talk to Sethet or Lady Rhea in the morning. He wanted to invite Lysithea to join his class, but he did not know if it was possible at all. He felt a proud contempt that her idea was going to be pursued.

* * *

The morning of the mock battle arrived. He and his students had worked hard, and he was confident that they would do their best. It was amazing how much they had improved in that short amount of time. It made him somehow proud.

He was about to enter his classroom, and from the door he saw his students were going through their strategy one more time. They seemed excited about this battle and were eager to show all others that the Black Eagles were the best.

Edelgard approached him from the side. "It's finally time for the mock battle." She said cheerfully. "This is my chance to measure your worth as an instructor. Do you think you can rise to the challenge?" He stared at her face, she had a half smile planted on her lips. Sothis giggled in his mind. She managed to repeat the words _measure_ and _rise_ , taking Byleth to her train of thought.

"Leave it to me." He answered confidently ignoring the still giggling deity inside his head. The student was clearly pleased with his answer. "So confident. This will be interesting." Edelagard responded, earning another giggle from Sothis. "Each of us has undergone strict training." She eyed him, evaluating again. "We're prepared for anything that comes our way." She told him as confidently as he had just one moment ago.

"This means there's no need to hold back. Show us what you're capable of." She said honestly. "I am not worried about us. I am worried about the other houses. They may not know what hit them in the first place." He said, earning a chuckle from her.

As if on cue, Claude and Dimitri walked in. "Hey there! Did we miss our invite to this strategy meeting? Oh, no worries — we'll join in now." Said Claude jokingly. "Simply tell me your weaknesses, and you're welcome to stay. But is there enough time to cover them all?" Edelgard answered equally jokingly.

"Ah, so you can't win unless you know my weaknesses. Poor princess. You really should believe in yourself more." Byleth was amused. But Edelgard changed her tone with the next answer. "I spare no effort when pursuing victory. As a master of schemes, I should think you would understand." Her tone was serious, and she flashed for a split second that anger that Byleth felt the day he chose the Black Eagles House. Just for a second her beautiful features were harsh.

"Schemes? Me? I have no idea what you are talking about! I plan to fight fair and square, as ever." Claude answered, seemingly oblivious of the tone she talked to them. "Hearing the words 'fair and square' from Claude can only be a bad omen." Dimitri answered in a serious tone. "Your Highnesses haven't known me for very long, but you already have me figured out, don't you?" Claude answered.

"No need to poke fun. I will fight with honor. That said, I will fight to win." Dimitri answered, never losing his serious tone from before. "Yes, and the same is true of us. Right, Professor?" Edelgard agreed. "I don't intend to lose." Byleth said. "If that is how you feel, then I will not hold back." Dimitri answered with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

_The blond one seems conflicted._ Sothis chimed in. _Yes, but why?_ Byleth wondered. _It has come to my attention, that he seems to avoid your girl whenever possible._ Sothis said. _Not my girl, but yes, I have noticed it too._ He was growing frustrated by her and her inopportune comments. Feeling this, Sothis huffed. _Keep telling yourself that._

He decided to shrug it off mentally and focus on the situation at hand. The students were still conversing among themselves. After a moment, the other two professors arrived. The said something about a faculty meeting and dragged Byleth with them.

* * *

After the meeting, the professor was led to a clearing just outside the monastery. This was part of the battlefield of that morning's mock battle.

Lady Rhea and Sethet had already occupied an observation spot on top of a hill, to better watch the students' progress. Byleth did not know it, but Jeralt was also watching. He had gotten back from his first assignment for the Knights in time to see his first performance as a teacher.

Byleth found his Black Eagles inside a white tent on the south of the battlefield. They were all preparing, except for Lindhardt who was napping in a corner of the tent and Bernadetta who was trying to hide from Hubert, who was making sure she did not run away from the tent.

"All right, listen up!" He yelled in order to be heard above all the noise and chatter the students were making. Once he was sure that he had their attention he spoke again. "One of the rules of this mock battle is: No sharp weapons are allowed. Only wooden training weapons, please." He started, Ferdinand, Petra and Edelgard nodded, but Caspar let a loud "No fair!" out.

"Second rule: Magic users are not allowed to use lethal spells. No exceptions." He said directly looking a Hubert, who sneered. "Third rule: Bow users, do not aim at the opponent's vitals. And you are to use dull paint arrows." He continued looking at Bernadetta, who sighed relieved.

"Fourth rule: Each of you are allowed to have one Vulnerary with you to recharge energy." He continued. "If you cannot keep fighting or have surrendered, you will leave the battlefield with your arms raised. No one should attack anyone with their arms raised. If you are defeated, you are to return to this tent and wait for the other's return."

"I am not allowed to charge forward with you. So, I will stay in the back. I am allowed however to intervene if a student of mine is in imminent danger." He explained. "I am also allowed to take the other professors on." He stared at them.

"We will have to adjust the battle-plan. Edelgard, are you ready to take the lead?" He asked turning to Edelgard. "I am. But as we discussed it on our strategy lessons, I would like to have your inputs on how to proceed." She answered with a nod. "Of course, nothing has changed." The professor said.

"I will be shouting commands or giving you signals." He turned to look at all of them. "I am sure, in a few hours, we will be celebrating our victory." He said.

"Hear, hear!" Ferdinand shouted, earning excited shouts from the students. Except from Bernadetta who was trying to get past Hubert to flee the tent.

* * *

The horn was blown. Which meant that the mock battle had begun. They were standing in formation, on the south of the forest.

The battle would not take place on the clearing, because it was too open, the teachers were to proof that their students could adapt to any kind of battle situation. There were patches of forest and still there were some clear patches of grass. It was optimal to plan sneak attacks or to go head on against the opponent.

The Black Eagles started to move forward, all in close position. Edelgard and Petra were leading, Ferdinand and Caspar guarding the sides. In the middle were Hubert and Dorothea to attack any enemy on range. Just behind them were Bernadetta with her longbow and Lindhardt to heal any possible injury.

Byleth was on the rear, giving directions and scanning the terrain for enemies. They had advanced a few paces, when Edelgard motioned them to stop. Byleth had heard it too. Someone was near.

Hilda and Lorenz from the Golden Deer appeared on their left side. Caspar was quick to break the formation and go battle with Lorenz. Caspar was in clear disadvantage, axe against Lorenz's spear. As predicted, he got hurt after one or two blows forcing him to retreat.

Byleth was disappointed. Regardless, the Black Eagles changed the formation, and aided Caspar in his foolishness. Edelgard was able to block Hilda's finishing blow on Caspar leaving the lead to Petra, while Hubert and Dorothea casted spells at Lorenz to distract him.

Caspar got back, where Lindhardt was able to start healing him. Bernadetta covered them, as she had also spotted that Claude was hiding behind a near tree to take the 'kills'. Lorenz and Hilda were clearly a distraction.

Ferdinand aided Edelgard to 'finish off' Hilda and moved to lock Claude out of his hiding place. By that time, Lorenz was also out of the picture, forced to retreat.

While half of the Black Eagles were busy with Claude, Byleth noticed from the corner of his eye, a giant young man nearing the right of the formation. This could only be Dedue from the Blue Lions.

Byleth shouted to Petra and to Bernadetta to give Dorothea some cover. Bernadetta flinched for a second but followed the order. She was able to hit Dedue on the wrist after he dodged a spell from Dorothea and a sword slash from Petra, forcing him to give up, as he could no longer carry his weapon.

Petra, Dorothea and Bernadetta stayed on the right side, as they had the feeling that Dedue was not the only one to be lurking there. Once Caspar was fully healed by Lindhardt, took the right flank, following an order from his teacher.

Byleth turned his attention to the left, Hubert was sending fire balls to various trees, igniting the dry grounds underneath. Claude and Ignatz were forced to come out of their hiding spots.

Ferdinand and Edelgard charged. Ferdinand was able to knock Ignatz's bow away, to which the young man instantly surrendered. Edelgard was having a little bit of trouble dealing with Claude. He was an excellent close combat fighter. He got a few blows to Edelgard's sides with his bow. This made Byleth's blood boil.

He could not stand to see her hurt. But before he could charge forward, Hubert connected a wind spell to Claude's chest, which gave Edelgard enough space and time to hit him on the chest with her axe. He surrendered after that.

The Black Eagles advanced carefully to regroup, using the trees to cover them. They positioned themselves so that they could protect their center. Lindhardt was tending the wounds they had suffered with his magic, but his energy was already running low.

"Alright people, we need to be careful with our resources. If anyone of you gets hurt, use your Vulneraries to recover. We will try to give Lindhardt a break." Byleth said hushed. The students nodded.

"The Golden Deer are down by at least four. The Blue Lions by at least 1." He continued. "Still a lot to do. Suggestions?" He asked them. "We march forward! We can Take them all on!" Said Caspar. "Don't be foolish. That would leave us in disadvantage." Replied Hubert.

"The noble thing to do is to go after the Blue Lions. It is fairer as they have got the numbers to fight us." Ferdinand offered. Byleth wanted to smack him on the head.

"That is not the course of doing." Said Petra. "We go hunting the weaker prey. That way we go sparing energy." She reasoned. "Petra is right. From the Golden Deer there is Lysithea, Leonie, Raphael, Marianne and Professor Manuela left." Hubert said agreeing with her.

"They might be dangerous, but we have the numbers." Dorothea said. "Very good." Byleth said, pleased with their students. "We will go after the Golden Deer then." He gave the signal to go on.

They advanced as silently as they could. After a few minutes, they reached the border to the clearing. They could see three of the Golden Deer students, guarding a structure where Manuela was standing on. Its floor was glowing green, and Byleth recognized it as a healing floor.

Marianne and Leonie were watching the trees on the east, Lysithea was watching to the southeast, the direction his comrades had gone to. Manuela looked alert and was watching over the younger girls. Raphael was nowhere to be seen. Byleth deduced that, he might have gone to scout to the east.

Byleth heard a twig snap behind them. But made no attempt to warn his students. He had repeatedly told them to be alert on their surroundings, to avoid sneak attacks. He watched his students, to see if anyone had caught it. Some of them were oblivious, others were looking around to locate the direction of the noise.

With no way to sneak up on the enemy, Byleth gave Edelgard a signal with his head. She nodded and turned to Bernadetta, who was beside her. She gave a quiet command to aim for Lysithea. Bernadetta flinched at Edelgard's voice and was reluctant to draw her bow.

Then she looked at Byleth who had not missed the interaction. He nodded to her to give her some sort of confidence. With her knees trembling, she rose and aimed.

Just as the arrow was shot, a monster of a man charged at them. Raphael was able to knock out Caspar's axe and grab him in a bear hug.

Chaos unraveled.

In a second, Petra was hitting Raphael on the back of the knee with her foot, successfully releasing Caspar who was turning blue.

In that same second, Hubert and Dorothea launched various spells in the direction of Leonie and Marianne. Edelgard charged forward and knocked Lysithea to the ground, barely avoiding a spell from Manuela. Keeping to the ground, she waited for reinforcements.

As Raphael dropped to the ground and he found Petra's training sword at his throat. He understood at that moment that he had lost and raised his hands. Caspar was also in no condition to keep fighting, so he too was forced to retreat.

Ferdinand wasted no time; he was charging to where Edelgard was crouching flanked by Marianne and Leonie. Dorothea and Hubert kept sending spells to cover them. Petra was also nearing the enemy, but she was trying to get to Manuela.

Byleth was not far behind her. He was only able to take the other Professors on, so he was not about to miss his chance. Lindhardt had switched to attack mode, mostly focusing his energy on Marianne.

Bernadetta was still standing on the edge of the forest, seemingly petrified. Byleth called Petra to stop and go fetch her. He was now in front to Manuela ready to strike. She attacked first sending a wind spell in his direction. He tried to dodge it, but the sharp winds still caught him on his thight, injuring him lightly.

He was taught to keep moving regardless of any pain he might feel, so he moved forward, his dulled sword in hand. Manuela sent another blueish spell in his direction. This time he was able to dodge by lunging forward and grabbing Manuela by her wrist.

He spun around, making sure that he did not break any bones, twisting her arm to her back and raising his other arm with his sword to her neck. "I nearly wounded up a patient in my own infirmary. It makes me wonder what kind of **other moves** you have been hiding." She said smirking while glancing in the direction of her remaining students. Lysithea was already walking out of the battlefield arms raised.

"Seems to me that my house has lost this year's mock battle." Leonie was just been struck down by Ferdinand and a defeated Marianne was being helped up by Dorothea. Byleth released Manuela, who winked at him before she too raised her hands.

Lindhardt, not being a great warrior, was also walking out with his arms raised. There was not much of a pause, because the Blue Lions, were now slowly approaching the rest of the Black Eagles.

Byleth signaled them to regroup around the healing floor and to use their healing potions. He took a moment to check the appearances of his student. Bernadetta was trembling from head to toe but was otherwise unharmed. Dorothea looked tired as did Hubert, but he was trying to hide it away. They had used a lot of energy for their attacks. Byleth hoped that the healing floor would replenish some energy to them.

Ferdinand and Petra were panting too. Ferdinand was clutching his side, no doubt from a blow he got from Leonie. Edelgard seemed also tired, there were tiny drops of sweat on her forehead. Otherwise she seemed fine.

"They are approaching slowly." Dorothea said. "I count seven including Professor Hanneman." Hubert offered. "Dimitri, Mercedes, Felix, Sylvian, Annette and Ingrid." Said Ferdinand "Ashe is missing." He added.

"He might be hiding in the trees" Bernadetta said, looking in that direction. "It seems to me that their strategy was to wait for the other two Houses to take each other on." Said Byleth. "To do the dirty work." said Edelgard. "Honor my ass" She added.

"No use to lament now, we are in disadvantage, but we must press on." Byleth replied. " I am agreeing. What would be your directions, Professor, please?" Petra asked. "We will have to try and separate them" Byleth said.

"Divide and conquer, then?" Hubert said with a creepy smile. "It is the only way to take the advantage." Edelgard agreed. " You ready?" He asked looking at Dorothea and Hubert. Once they nodded he added. "On my signal."

As the Blue Lions were approaching, Hubert and Dorothea took the middle of the formation flanked on the right by Petra and Ferdinand and on the left by Edelgard and Bernadetta.

After a few more careful steps from the Blue Lions, Byleth whistled. Hubert and Dorothea send a series of fire spells to the middle of their formation. The Blue Lions dodged the spells, some to the right, some to the left. Dorothea and Hubert kept sending spells to the middle, creating a fire wall.

Bernadetta started shooting arrows in various directions, trying to catch any opponent's student unaware. Ferdinand and Petra charged to the right side, while Edelgard started to the left. Once the wall was in place Hubert and Dorothea split up each going to help their comrades on each side of the wall.

Byleth noted that most of the Blue Lions were on the right side of the wall, except for Felix, Hanneman and Dimitri on the left side. Since he was only able to battle the Professors, he went to the left. Signaling Bernadetta to cover both sides.

She was able to hit Annette on the back, while Ferdinand was busy fighting Ingrid spear against spear. Hubert knocked Mercedes to the ground. Mercedes just like Lindhardt was not interested in fighting, just healing. She surrendered immediately.

Sylvian hit Hubert with his spear after he took Mercedes out. Hubert fell hard to the ground, and being drained from most of his energy, he surrendered sneering. Petra used her chance and knocked Sylvain's spear out of his hands with her sword. And using her momentum she spun around hitting Sylvain's jaw with her foot. Just as he was stumbling backwards to keep his balance, an arrow hit him on his chest.

Ingrid had successfully defeated Ferdinand, but her victory was short lived, as Petra sneaked on her from behind. With the same technique she used against Raphael, she hit the back of Ingrid's knee and put her sword to her neck, forcing her to surrender.

In the meantime, on the left side of the fire wall, Edelgard and Dorothea were having trouble to hold off both attacks of Felix and Dimitri. Dorothea's energy was running dangerously low. Byleth parried a spell from Hanneman, making sure it did not hit any of his students.

He heard a loud female cry. He turned to find out the source, Dorothea was on her knees clutching her right hand to her chest. Felix was looming over her and he was not giving any sign to stop hitting at a defeated opponent. He raised his sword again and was about to hit her. She was unaware and not able to defend herself.

Byleth jumped just in time to block the attack with his own sword, but he also took the opportunity to push Felix hard on the chest with his foot. As he was stumbling back, Edelgard took her chance to hit him with her axe.

Just as her blow connected, Dimitri lashed his spear at her. Byleth blocked the attack, as it was dangerously directed to her head. Edelgard turned around and kicked Dimitri on the leg. He managed to stay on his feet and directed his spear once again to Edelgard.

The spear nearly connected her on her chest, but she moved out of the way in time. Hanneman was now attacking Byleth with a sword. Byleth dodged and blocked the attacks, waiting for his chance. But he was distracted, Edelgard was having a hard time with Dimitri, who's attacks were relentless and filled with rage, mostly aiming at her vitals.

Byleth needed to go and help Edelgard. Hanneman lashed at him but he was too slow. Byleth was able to catch Hanneman's arm to his left side with his own. He used the his force to spin around hearing a loud "pop". Byleth sincerely hoped Haneman's shoulder was just dislocated and not broken. Ignoring the other professor's pained screams, he released him and ran hurriedly towards Dimitri.

His blood was boiling, seeing that Edelgard was just thrown to the ground and Dimitri was hovering over her. His face was contorted like a maniac, he was going for the kill. Byleth managed to grab Dimitri from behind sliding his arms under the opponent's armpits and releasing his own sword. He took a hold of his head with his hands. He pulled backwards and both fell on Byleth's back. Dimitri's spear flying away.

The young man was trashing like a madman, but Byleth did not dare to let go. He reinforced his grip, tangling his legs with Dimitri's. His arm strength was failing, Dimitri was a strong one. "Stop. I do not want to snap your neck!" Byleth said through grinded his teeth.

"You heard the Professor!" Said Edelgard. There was a sword and an axe pinned to his neck. Petra was already on their side of the wall, ready to help. "Let go of me! I am going to finish you all off!" Dimitri was desperate and it sounded like a warning.

Byleth did not remember Dimitri being like this. The few conversations they had shared over the weeks, were cordial and kind.

The horn blew again. It signaled the end of the battle. Byleth was reluctant to let Dimitri go. After a few more moments, where Dimitri visibly calmed down, he released him.

The student stood up hurriedly and went to grab his spear once more. As he picked it up, his face changed again. He was back to the cordial kind young man Byleth seemed to know.

"Congratulations." He said conflicted. And with that he left. Byleth stood up up and he noted that Petra and Edelgard relaxed their stances once the other student was a few steps away.

Byleth helped Hanneman to set his shoulder back on its rightful place, apologizing for being so rough with him. "I would have done it the same way, if one of my students were in that situation." The older professor replied concerned. "No hard feelings. But I will be careful not to cross your way again." He said with a pained smile.

Edelgard, Petra, Bernadetta and Byleth regrouped and started the march to their own camp.

* * *

Back at the tent, they were greeted by cheers and shouts. A few of the Seiros Knights were tending to their injuries or giving energy potions to the students.

Before anyone could say anything else Sethet and Jeralt entered the tent. The students fell silent. Waiting for any of them to speak. "Congratulations Black Eagles. You have won this year's mock battle." Sethet announced. He gave a small smile as the students shouted and cheered again.

"Well done." Said Jeralt looking at Byleth proudly. "With all due respect, I was not allowed to fight. It was all them." He relied signaling the students behind him. "Well then, it was excellent nonetheless." Sethet replied smiling at the students.

"Professor, it is customary for the professors to meet immediately after the battle, to share inputs and recommendations." Sethet turned to Byleth, his smile disapearing. "Please make your way to the conference tent." He said already turning to leave. Byleth nodded at his father, who nodded back. A silent promise to sit down and talk sometime soon.

Byleth turned to his students and just nodded. "We will talk soon."

* * *

Hanneman and Manuela were waiting for him in the staff tent. The other professors greeted and congratulated him, while he made sure that Hanneman's shoulder was not badly injured. They talked about business.

They were to evaluate all three Houses. First, they talked about the Golden Deer who were defeated first. Byleth gave his impression on the Golden Deer and their strategy. He noted the way they charged and how they fought. How his house was able to defeat them. Manuela wrote anything she found useful down.

Next was the Blue Lions. Manuela did not have much to say about them, so Byleth told Hanneman everything he saw. He told him that his house was drained after taking down the Golden deer, so they had to be sure not to take them all on at once. He asked about Ashe, as he had not seen him at all. Hanneman informed him that his student was a victim of Raphael, who had caught him unaware before he met the Eagles.

He also told Hanneman about Dimitri's rage. Hanneman had noticed it too, and he gave his assurance that he would talk to Dimitri about this.

They went on to analyze Byleth's student's and strategy.

* * *

After the meeting, they set off to the monastery. Once they arrived there, they split up to meet their houses. Byleth found his Black Eagles in the reception hall. They all gathered in front of him.

"Excellent work today, Professor. Though our victory should come as no surprise." Edelgard said to him. "It was easy." He replied, almost awaiting a reprimand from her. To his surprise, none was spoken. "Yes, it was. Further proof that you are well qualified to guide the Black Eagles."

"That was impressing, Professor. I mean... impressive. We gained a victory because of your great leadership." Petra was glowing happiness. "We certainly did. We all tried our best, of course, but we couldn't have won without you." Dorothea agreed also smiling. Her hand was bandaged but did not give any indication of it hurting anymore.

"I still am curious what it could look at if you did not hold back. Still you did not disappoint!" Ferdinand said. "Hmph. I daresay we owe our victory to Lady Edelgard." Hubert cut in.

"How so? For this battle, she was only a soldier following our professor's command. Sure, she was an incredibly powerful soldier..." A sleepy Lindhardt answered directly to Hubert, earning a low groan from the other student.

Caspar oblivious to the interaction replied. "Don't worry about it too much, Lindhardt. All that matters is that we won!" Bernadetta found some courage to speak up. "I am all done with being on the battlefield, OK? I'd rather stay back than pursue victory out there." She said rather energetically. Byleth was about to encourage her, as he often did to increase her confidence, when he was interrupted.

"You are all ridiculous as always. We only managed to win because we worked together." Edelgard said. All other students turned to her and looked at her as if she was a stranger. She noticed it too. "Was it something I said? Is it so odd, me talking about togetherness?" She continued nervously looking around. No one answered.

"If so, that perception must change. In fact, I am cancelling the festivities so we can discuss this topic further." She continued, and all the students were either groaning or looking glum.

"I'm kidding, of course." She said exasperated. "Come on, everyone! We've earned this celebration." Byleth was surprised as well and opted not to comment on her attempt to make a joke.

Celebrate they did. They 'stole' a banquet and non-alcoholic drinks from the kitchens and ate at their homeroom. Their topic of conversation, the battle. Byleth sat and listened, not talking much. He was enjoying his students cheerfulness.


	4. White Clouds - Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, dear readers!
> 
> Thank you again for your continued support.
> 
> Warning: There will be a slight bashing / criticism about the Church of Seiros and Lady Rhea in this chapter. I have to say, this is my interpretation on Byleth's feelings / suspicions / opinions about the CoS. If you disagree with some of my views, then good for you. I am not judging. But then again, why are you reading a Black Eagles route FF? Just saying…
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 3)**

It has been months since the mock battle. Byleth had been able to deepen his relationship with most of his students. They seemed to trust him enough to lead them in the missions that the Church of Seiros assigned them.

He would never confirm this in public, but he had learned to love his position as a teacher. He enjoyed greatly to teach the Black Eagles, and he found out that his students liked to learn from him. It was a refreshing change of pace, that he had underestimated. However, he still felt that he was being forced to do something he did not want to do.

Along the way, he got permission to recruit Lysithea to his house. She was happy to accept his offer and was very eager to learn as much as she possibly could with the Eagles. His other students accepted her immediately including her to their 'equals group'. She was a great asset for their missions too, although she would tire very fast.

Of all of them, the person who happened to click best with her was Edelgard. They would often study together or sit at dinner time together. Somehow it made Byleth proud and happy, that both girls seemed to become fast friends.

His relationship with Sothis had also improved. She would often manifest herself in his room or in staff meetings and observe the conversations in progress. She would comment from time to time about his work as a teacher. And since she wanted Byleth alive, she granted him the ability to stop and rewind the time. She called it 'Divine Pulse'.

Her favorite way of amusing herself was to bring up Edelgard. He still denied that he was infatuated by her. He argued with himself that it was wrong for a professor to be in any kind of romantic relationship with a student.

He still was drawn to her and he still was no closer in finding out why. It got to the point where he had to cancel his private lessons with her, so he would not cross that line. Sothis was, of course, disappointed that her 'favorite love novel' had been cancelled.

* * *

Byleth was on curfew duty on the student's halls. He was entering the second floor to make his rounds, when he heard thrashing sounds somewhere along the corridor. _What was that?_ He wondered. _Ghosts?_ Sothis answered, clearly remembering that Lysithea had mentioned them in the past. She discarded the thought almost immediately.

He was silent for a moment amused. She sensed it and huffed. _I am most definitely not a ghost, if that is what you were getting at!_ He was about to reply when he heard screaming. He did not hesitate one moment and ran towards the noise, stopping in front of Edelgard's room.

His whole body went cold in fear. He was frozen in place for a second until Sothis snapped him out of it. _Hurry and find out what happened!_ She was also frightened. Byleth wondered if he had imposed his feelings to her, as he also felt waves of her worry coursing through his body.

He knocked urgently at his student's door. He heard a loud 'thump' and more thrashing inside. Once she opened the door she was dressed in her very wrinkled uniform. He could see a thin layer of sweat on her face, and her eyes were disoriented.

"Professor... What are you doing here?" She asked nervously. "I heard something." Sothis wanted to smack him and he agreed. That was not the best he could have said in the situation.

"Oh? Perhaps I was talking in my sleep." She answered nervously looking to the ground. Byleth was not going to give up so he asked, "Bad dreams?" She sighed. "Ah... So, you heard me, then. Yes, it was a nightmare" She said defeated.

After a moment she continued. "I've had them since I was a child. Stupid, pointless dreams I can't control..." She said angrily. "It's terribly frustrating." She made a pause.

"Anything I can you help with?" Byleth asked sincerely. Sothis was also waiting for her answer, her worry still flowing through his body adding up to his own. "No." She answered flatly. "They're just worthless dreams of the past." She looked hurt.

"Talking about them won't change a thing." She sounded sad. Something inside him told him to console her and to keep her safe.

But he opted to respect her privacy. "It's none of my business. But you can trust me with anything." She seemed unsurprised.

"I had a feeling you would say that. Perhaps it is not your business. Still, here you are. Maybe I can trust you with this..." She replied nervously, almost shyly. "But only if you swear not to tell a soul."

He was genuinely surprised and somehow relieved. He just nodded to her. She nodded back and stepped aside to let him into her room. Clearly, she did not want anyone overhearing what they were about to talk. "I appreciate it."

It was not prohibited for a teacher to enter a student's room, but he felt as if he was breaking a rule. He stepped in and she closed the door. He was standing in the middle of it and was looking at his surroundings.

The room was a bit larger than his, and similarly equipped. There was a bed, a chair, a desk, some bookshelves and a wardrobe and it was not overly adorned, like his own room. A book and some paper, along with a quill and a bottle of ink were scattered on the floor.

There was a closed door to his right that he assumed would be a bathroom. The rooms on the first floor of the student's quarters all shared a single bathhouse. He guessed that the nobles in the past and present did not appreciate the sentiment, this was one of the luxuries that a nobleman/woman insisted on having.

Edelgard motioned him to sit on the chair, while she sat on her bed. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. He waited patiently. She looked conflicted and sad. Sothis was beside him and patiently waited with him.

"I dream of... my older brother, paralyzed, helpless..." She was struggling to find the words. Byleth was taken aback. He foolishly thought that her nightmares consisted of monsters or ghosts. He felt very ashamed of himself for thinking it. He let her continue.

"My older sister crying for help that never came..." she was fighting to keep her emotions in check. She was grabbing the hem of her sleeves with her gloved hands.

"The youngest babbling words beyond meaning. I see my family dying slowly, waiting in the darkest depths for a glimmer of light." She paused. He noted she was silently crying now. He did not know how to react, but all he wanted to do was to go and give her some sort of consolation. He was not sure how and his body moved on its own.

He stood up and walked carefully to her. She had not noticed his approach, her eyes were drilling a hole on her bedroom floor. He knelt in front of her and took her gloved hands with his own. She looked up at him as if he had just appeared in her room. Her eyes showed a mix of emotions: sadness, anger, anguish, desperation, resignation and relsolve.

"I once had ten siblings, eight older and two youngers. Such a large family, and yet I became the heir to the throne. Do you know why? Every last one of them was crippled by disease or lost their mind or died. I was the only one left who could inherit the throne." She said releasing her left hand from his and angrily swiping her tears with it.

In unison Byleth and Sothis asked the same thing "How could such thing happen...?" Edelgard was of course not able to see or hear Sothis approach her to console her too, sitting beside her.

Edelgard continued to talk, as if she had not heard their question at all. "Things kept getting worse. The darkness kept getting darker. In the end, I was the only one who survived. The nightmares are a reminder...to never forget. To never allow such terrible things to happen again." _Never again..._ Sothis and Byleth agreed furiously.

Her revelation ignited something inside of both Sothis and Byleth. It was something horrible to ever let it happen again. They still did not know in what circumstances those acts were conducted, but they made a silent oath to help her stop these kinds of abuses.

"Even now, I'm the only one who can carry the weight of the Adrestian Empire. The future of the Empire...of everything...depends on me." She stopped abruptly.

"Hm... I shared more than I intended to. I suppose there is something in the air tonight. I have never told anyone about my past before. Please... forget I said anything." She pleaded.

She did not wait for an answer, she stood up and opened the door, signaling him to go. He stood up slowly and walked to the door. Edelgard was looking at the ground.

"I am truly sorry, Edelgard." He said softly stepping around to face her. "I know that I cannot change the things that happened to you or your siblings. All I have to offer is my support, should you ever need it again. And a promise, that I will help you stop those kinds of tortures."

He laid his hand tentatively on her shoulder. She flinched. Just as he was going to retract it, she laid her hand on top of his, squeezing it lightly. He nodded at her. "Sleep well, my teacher." She whispered with a sad smile on her lips.

He was conflicted for the rest of the night. Sothis felt the same way. She was silent for a long while. She did not speak until they were back in his room.

_Just what has that girl been through? But more importantly, why? Who could do such things to her and her siblings?_ Byleth had a feeling, that Edelgard would finish her story once she felt ready to.

* * *

Lady Rhea had been kind to Byleth, almost motherly. Her face often lit up when he entered her throne room. It unsettled Byleth deeply, as if there was something, he could not understand yet. Sothis felt the same way, reminding him often to be careful around that woman.

Maybe it was favoritism from the archbishop's part, or maybe he was imagining things. But he had noted a pattern, all the Church-related and other important missions were trusted to **him** and his House, while the other two houses were sent to chase and eliminate mere bandits.

Among the many missions that were assigned to his students, the most difficult was by far the West Church rebellion. The mission consisted into stopping a few extremist followers of the western church, who had declared independence to the Church of Seiros.

The Black Eagles were assigned this mission over the other houses. Byleth understood the conflict of interests regarding the Blue Lions. The leader of the rebellion was Ashe's adoptive father. But he did not understand why the Golden Deer were not even considered once again.

He tried to ask Rhea about it. She responded almost honestly that she felt the Golden Deer were 'not ready' for this mission. For a split second her eyes however gave something away. _Hope?_ Sothis' uneasiness for the situation did not help calm his own.

The Black Eagles were accompanied by a squad of Knights of Seiros lead by Catherine, the most devout knight to Lady Rhea. The students were forced to take the lives of militia and other untrained civilians. In the end Catherine finished off their leader, Lord Lonato.

The church tried to justify their hard retaliation, arguing that they were keeping the order and status quo of Fódlan. Byleth suspected that they would do just about anything to keep their power and to crush any other uprising religion to keep their power over Fódlan.

Sothis was repulsed. In her opinion the resulted carnage was useless. She was livid and she mourned for the lives lost. To Byleth, who's mercenary background had voided him of this kind of feelings, her reaction felt almost human. He allowed himself to feel her grief, in part to better understand what his students were going through.

It took a little while and a lot of conversations to get them to be the somewhat the same rowdy crew he had grown to love.

* * *

The next mission was directly connected to the previous rebellion mission. There were rumors that the same extremist group wanted revenge and were planning an assassination on Lady Rhea during the Goddess Rite of Rebirth festival.

She had outright refused to cancel the festivities, as Sethet was urging her to. She argued that this was not an option, so they would have to redouble the vigilance during the festival. All students were to be prepared to help patrol and guard the monastery.

Once the meeting was over, he got back to his houseroom. He found Edelgard already there and being the student's house leader, he told her about the mission in advance.

She was more comfortable and relaxed around him since she told him about her nightmares. He had the impression that she was starting to really trust him.

Once the rest of the Black Eagles arrived, they gathered around. Edelgard took the lead. "Our mission this month is to patrol and set up defenses to stop the assassination plot." "I wonder if an assassination attempt is truly the goal of our enemy..." Hubert wondered out loud.

Byleth had the same feeling, so he pointed it out. "It's a distraction." Edelgard seemed to agree with him too. "A barely concealed secret message, trying to distract us from whatever's really going on." She said looking at Hubert. There was something in their eyes, a silent communication.

_We are missing something._ Sothis chimed in. _I think so too. What could those two be hiding?_ Byleth wondered. Before they could discuss it even further, Edelgard continued. "Sloppy, to say the least. And while everyone is out searching for a phantom assassin, they will be free to accomplish their true goal with ease."

Ferdinand was not one to be left behind. He spoke almost as if he had already solved the mystery. "The monastery houses many valuable weapons. Perhaps that is their aim?" Byleth considered it. It could be probable. He nodded at his student approvingly.

"I hear the monastery has a treasure vault too. Seems like the sort of place a foe would like some alone time in." Dorothea said. "Garreg Mach is immense, and not just above ground but below as well. Perhaps their aim lies beneath the monastery..." offered Lindhardt looking somewhat awake.

"It seems to me that we should search the monastery for a clue as to what the enemy might be after." Hubert rubbed his chin thinkingly. "Of course, we must never underestimate the need for preparedness, in case a battle should ensue." He finished; his words were carefully spoken.

"Our enemy's true target... What could it be? The monastery has been around for nearly a millennium." Edelgard continued. "It's only logical that there are secrets here. We'd better investigate." She turned to her comrades. "Would you mind asking around and seeing what you can dig up? Once you have uncovered some leads, we'll regroup." Byleth nodded to his students and they all set off to play detective.

They asked around the monastery's staff, about their opinion on possible targets. Lindhardt talked to Professor Hanneman and went to see if he could find any leads in the Library. Ferdinand found two possible leads while visiting the Cathedral.

Caspar got a piece of information from a Monk near the Greenhouse. Dorothea charmed information out of a male Knight in the dining hall. A priest near the entrance to the treasure vault gave Hubert the final piece of information.

Byleth on his part wanted to follow his and Sothis' gut feeling. _There is something about this whole ordeal that seems off._ He told her. _Yes! And it is all so terribly frustrating. I think I should **know** something, but it keeps slipping my mind._ Sothis answered exasperated.

_We should start by interrogating a few of the higher ranks. Starting with that Rhea woman._ She said decisively. _After that we need to speak with the advisor._ She rambled.

_I was thinking on asking Tomas._ Byleth told her calmly. _Who's Tomas?_ Sothis was trying to recall who this person could be. _The old librarian._ Byleth helped jog her memory. _Ah yes! That one is most definitely suspicious. We cannot leave any stone unturned._ She approved on his choice.

To someone that had seen the professor walk by, they would only see that he was very deep I thought. He was stopped by a female voice calling to him.

"A penny for your thoughts, Professor." It was the honorary knight from Dagda. She had short blue hair and purple eyes. Her skin was almost as pale as Edelgard's. Byleth had heard about her prowess with the bow.

She was accompanied by Rhea's faithful servant. He was an almyran boy about 14 or 15 years old with black hair and brown eyes. "Oh, we haven't been introduced. I am Shamir." She said unapologetically.

"And this young man is-" She was signaling to the boy. "I work for Lady Rhea! And I'm Shamir's apprentice! Oh, the name's Cyril." The boy was excited for some reason.

"Shamir's apprentice?" Byleth looked over to the knight. She nodded. "Yep. She's teaching me about the bow and the sword and all kinds of stuff." Cyril said retrieving the professor´s attention to him again. He was puffing his chest proudly. "I've gotta protect Lady Rhea, so that's why I've gotta learn all I can from Shamir."

Byleth looked at the boy critically. He was young, and he doubted he knew very much yet, to be able to fight.

_I have seen him before. He was always holding a mop or a dirty rag in his hands. And I have never seen this Shamir person before, she is not often in the monastery._ Sothis gave her opinion.

"Cyril adores Rhea. That aside, if you need anything, ask." The knight said, motioning Cyril to follow her. The direction they took off gave Byleth the indication that their destination was the training grounds.

_Maybe you should consider asking her for her assistance in the furure. As for the sweet boy…_ Sothis said watching them go. _Too dangerous for him._ Byleth agreed.

* * *

That same afternoon, the Eagles regrouped on their houseroom. The students shared what they had found out and discussed how probable it was that the enemy would target either of the discovered locations. The greenhouse, the dining hall, the library, the cathedral, and the Holy Mausoleum.

They quickly discarded the greenhouse and the dining hall. The cathedral was a place that would be crowded during the Rite, the Knights of Seiros were going to be guarding that location heavily, it was too obvious.

Although the library contained some very rare history and spell books it was not probable that the enemy was going to try to steal them.

"We can't know for certain, but it's a distinct possibility that the Holy Mausoleum is our enemy's target." Edelgard commented. The other students nodded. Byleth felt proud of them, the reasoning they were using to solve the mystery was something they probably learned from him.

Byleth prepared his students the best he could. He forced them to change their preferred weapon and try other ones.

It would still take a few weeks to polish, but they were improving a lot. Academically, he was often learning from them instead the other way around. They did not seem to be bothered by it and were always happy to help him.

* * *

The night of the Rite of Rebirth festival came to soon. People were storming into the Cathedral to attend the festivity, and the students and teachers were as instructed guarding the different vulnerable points where Lady Rhea was going to show up.

The Knights of Seiros were scattered in and around the monastery's guarded almost every entrance and some of them were attending undercover.

The Black Eagles were stationed near the entrance of the mausoleum. A guarding point that Byleth had requested.

Sethet as always was suspicious as to why he was requesting it, but Lady Rhea relented almost immediately. Byleth noticed, that she listened and considered anything he suggested or requested much to Sethet's dismay. It was unsettling.

Byleth was confused as to why she treated him like that. He tried to ask his father about it, but all he got is that once they had time to sit down and drink something, he would tell him all he knew.

In the past months, Lady Rhea has been sending him to long back to back missions. Their time together was very limited. Byleth suspected these situations was created on purpose. Sothis agreed with him.

Byleth and his students were on high alert. They watched anyone going or coming in their direction, and for a long time nothing was amiss. There was no commotion from within the festivity, which was an indication that no assassination attempt had taken place yet. The Eagles were beginning to think that they were wasting time.

Sure enough a commotion came in form of misplaced fireworks that were fired wrongly. They were exploding on the ground near civilians. The knights went to put them out, while civilians and students fled to the inside of the halls clearing the area. Smoke made it difficult to see.

The Eagles had all eyes on the entrance of the mausoleum. A group of dark clothed figures appeared and broke in. Byleth waited a few moments before he was in motion, his house in tow.

They managed to get in as silently as they could. The entrance lead to an underground passageway. The structures were old, but they were made carefully with the finest materials to make it last a long time. But alas, there was no time to admire the details crafted into the marble stones and pillars.

They reached a huge hall filled with opulent pillars. It was lit by some sort of mechanism that mirrored candlelight. On the end of the hall, there was a flight of stairs and on top of them, there was a simple white marble coffin. The usurpers were trying to get it open.

They were chanting spells, which told Byleth that there was some sort of magic seal that they were trying to break. The Black Eagles approached silently and carefully, because they anticipated that this kind of place was probably filled with booby traps.

They also did not want the bad guys to know they were there yet. There were large tiles on the floor with holes in them. There was also fresh blood at least one of the usurpers had not been careful enough.

Byleth motioned them to be careful around those tiles. A few of the usurpers were standing guard. One of them spotted the students and raised the alarm. They were ready to fight. But so were the Black Eagles.

The opponent opted on guarding the flanks, leaving the more direct way in the middle free. "This has to be a trap. Do not fall for it." Byleth warned them. He had a bad feeling about this.

But it was too late. Ferdinand and Caspar were rapidly approaching the middle lawn. Byleth was not sure who moved first, they had both had judgement slips in the past. Caspar wanted to be the hero of the tale, while Ferdinand wanted to gain points for his one-sided competition against Edelgard.

Byleth sighed and gave the rest of the Eagles a signal to follow the other two. They had advanced a few steps towards their comrades when a flash of light nearly blinded them.

They all stopped in their tracks and waited for it to pass. A moment later, there was a tall figure in front of them. It was a man clad in black armor, riding a huge black horse.

His helmet had big horns, its face was covered in a metallic skull mask, with sharp polished metal teeth. He had a sickle in his hand, and a few daggers and a sword attached to his belt.

"Death Knight! Prove your strength and scatter these fools!" The leader mage, who was trying to break the seal, commanded. The Death Knight responded with an eerie, distorted deep voice that could scare the bravest of men. "I don't take commands. Or waste my time on weaklings."

He did not move to attack Caspar and Ferdinand, who were closest to him. "That knight is a powerful enemy... Let us do all we can to avoid him." Edelgard suggested. Byleth agreed, but Ferdinand and Caspar had not heard her or chose to ignore her.

They charged at him simultaneously. The Death Knight chuckled. "Like moths to a flame..." He raised his sickle and with a circular motion attacked both charging students. They reacted on time, trying to block the blow with their respective weapons.

But the force of the blow was too much, and Ferdinand's spear broke in two parts, while Caspar's axe was torn away from his hands. Byleth could see that Caspar was bleeding from his hands, surely skin was ripped by the force of the blow.

Bernadetta, although very afraid from the Dark Knight, fired a few arrows, which the dark figure easily avoided, distracting him, and giving her comrades the chance to back up out of range. Petra, who was closest to Byleth, moved forwards mirroring her professors moves.

The rest of the team followed swiftly, and into formation. The usurpers were not attacking. They were waiting to see if the Death Knight would do the job for them. Byleth was the first to take position in front of the opponent, blocking the path to the injured students.

Lindhardt was doing his best to stop the bleeding in Caspar's hands. Ferdinand was frantically searching for a spare spear. Seeing that he did not find one lying around, he resigned into using the spare sword he had attached to his belt.

Edelgard and Petra took the flanks of the opponent. They were visibly nervous, but not as much as Bernadetta, who took her place a few paces away behind Edelgard, ready with her bow. Hubert and Dorothea positioned themselves behind each of Byleth's shoulders.

Lysithea was ready behind Petra. "I told you that if you fled, I would not chase you. But it seems you wish to die..." The Death Knight said eerily. Bernadetta whimpered at his voice but did not dare to run away.

"There's no way around it... I accept your challenge!" Said Edelgard. "Oh? This will be fun..." The Death Knight responded. The brief conversation was odd to Byleth. For a moment he thought they knew each other.

He quickly disregarded that thought, focusing on the situation at hand. The Death Knight did not move. He was looking directly at Edelgard, so Byleth took the opportunity to give a signal to Dorothea, Lysithea and Hubert.

They sent spells right and left to the knight, who avoided them. The spells would not do much damage, but they were the perfect distraction. It was Petra's and Edelgard's turn to attack.

Petra approached with great speed, avoiding the Knight's sickle by a hair. She landed a good slash on his armor, ripping apart a piece. Edelgard, was not able to avoid or block the sickle. It slashed through her armor like it was butter. She dropped to the ground, moaning in pain.

"Lady Edelgard!" Hubert screamed, sending a rage of spells to the enemy, moving to his Lady's side and breaking formation. The Black Eagles were in action, sensing that their house leader was in great danger.

Byleth was not registering any of this. He was trying to go back in time, to avoid the attack from the dark figure. But it was not working. He called desperately to Sothis, but she was nowhere to be found.

He needed to react, in a second, he charged at the Knight who was distracted. Byleth managed to grab him from somewhere at his armor to try to dismount him. To his relief, the armored man was taken by surprise and fell from the horse with a loud metallic sound.

Byleth did not wait for him to recover and attacked him with his sword. The Knight barely managed to avoid the attack, rolling back ditching his sickle and grabbing a sword from his belt. He parried a few of Byleth's constant blows.

It took some effort, attacking and counterattacking. But Byleth eventually disarmed his opponent, adrenaline rushing through his veins. "I didn't expect to encounter someone like you... How fortunate." With a flash of light, the Death Knight vanished out of thin air. His horse and discarded weapon were also gone.

Byleth was angry. "Coward." He spat. He turned to see his students staring at him, some in disbelief and some in shock. Dorothea and Lindhardt were hunched down where Edelgard laid. They were healing her to their best of abilities. Byleth was about to approach the group when a spell was sent his way.

It connected right to his chest. He felt a lot of pain, but he turned towards the attacker. He would not have mercy with the mage. He moved forward again, by this time his healthy students, except for Dorothea, Hubert and Lindhardt, followed him.

Ferdinand was at his side, battling another mage. Bernadetta was firing arrows at the archers. Petra was charging at a swordsman. A blur of colorful spells flew in all directions, probably the work of Lysithea.

Byleth moved forward, cutting, and slashing anyone who got in his way. His only concern was to get rid of the enemy and keep Edelgard safe.

Once he got to the stairs, the enemy's leader proudly proclaimed "You're too late! The seal is broken." The mysterious mage pushed back the lid of the tomb and pulled out a sword.

Its appearance was strange. It was not made of metal, the material looked to be like marble or bone. One side of the blade had some sort of spikes, the other looked sharp. The pommel was long, fit to be handled by two hands. The cross-guard was formed like bat wings.

"Huh... What?" It clearly was not what the mage had been expecting. Byleth used his chance and attacked him. The mage was unprepared. As he avoided the incoming attack, he let go of the sword sending it flying through the air.

The professor caught it. It fit perfectly into his hand and was perfectly balanced for him. Before he had time to further admire the sword the mage launched an attack.

Byleth unthinkingly used the sword to block the attack. The sword began to glow red with power. It flowed into Byleth's arm. He felt its affection and its acceptance. The feeling overpowering but soothing at the same time. It invited him to use its whole potential.

And that is exactly what he did. He attacked and quickly found out that sword had some sort of secret mechanism. It could expand to be used like a whip. He tried to redirect in midair and the sword responded accordingly.

The mage was shocked. Byleth sheathed his metal sword and faced the mage, who was retreating in fear. But he was cornered, and out of desperation he prepared another spell.

The professor overpowered him with the sword before the spell was cast, effectively eliminating him. The rest of the thieves scrambled to flee. The Black Eagles stood by the tomb; they were all looking at the magical sword.

Byleth did the same. He noted that there was an empty space on the cross-guard. It felt as if something was missing.

He was concerned about Edelgard's welfare. He quickly jogged back to where she was sword in hand.

He let a sigh of relieve once he saw that Edelgard was awake, and the slash on her shoulder had stopped bleeding. She looked at the sword in Byleth's hand " That sword... Why is it-" She was interrupted by Hubert.

"That's the sword that was in the casket. Seems to be shimmering, almost as though..." He did not finish his sentence, deep in thought. Byleth ignored his student looking at Edelgard directly in the eyes.

"Are you OK?" He asked her. She slowly nodded. He noticed for the first time how much paler than usual she was. She looked very tired. "Your chest...!" She said with a concerned look.

He looked down, noticing that he was burned across his chest. Just then he acknowledged the pain. He ignored it and turned to see if his other students were in one piece.

"This was quite dangerous. Sorry I put you in this position." He apologized to all of them. No one spoke. They were looking at him, some in disbelief and others in gratitude.

A few moments later a loud bang came from the entrance to the hall. "Is the intruder here?!" Catherine called. She was surprised to see the students and Byleth there.

"Oh... Looks like you have this under control." She said to Byleth, who nodded. "You! Round up any stragglers." She said to her troops. "Will do!" One of them responded.

"Let's get you out of here." She said, approaching the group.

* * *

The injured participants ended in the infirmary. The other students were sent to their dorms. It took a lot of effort to get Hubert out. He was mumbling something about poison, and that he would not leave his Lady's side.

Byleth reasoned with him that if he stayed longer, he would be bothering Edelgard's recovery. Only then he agreed to leave, but he made it clear that he was going to wait outside.

Manuela wanted to tend Byleth's injuries first, but he instructed her to take care of his students first. It did not sit well with her, but she relented taking care of Caspar's hands first, disinfecting them and closing the remnants of the cuts with magic.

Next in line were Petra and Ferdinand who had a few minor cuts, very little magic needed. After the three of them were treated, they were dismissed with instructions to rest for a few days. Caspar was particularly loud to complain, he wanted to get into weapon training as soon as possible.

For privacy's sake, Manuela drew the curtain to Edelgard's bed. Byleth could hear Manuela work, as he sat motionlessly on his bed. There was a noise of metallic trays and the occasional moan of pain from Edelgard.

Manuela did her best to calm the girl down, telling her that it would hurt only for a bit until the pain potion kicked in. Byleth stared at the curtain, he saw Manuela's magic light up.

He was beyond concerned and felt guilty. He should never had agreed with his students to take such a great risk. He looked at the sword that lay at his side. Even then he could feel the power it emanated from it. It called to him, as if it was an old friend.

Sothis manifested herself. Once she saw where they were, she asked _What happened?_

_The mausoleum was raided, as we suspected._ Byleth answered. He proceeded to collect his memories of the incident for her to see it. _Where were you?_ he asked her hurt. _I wanted to turn back time but was unable to contact you. She got badly hurt._ He continued.

She looked at him with resignation. _I have always been with you. But I was trapped inside. I was in the dark throne room, where we first met._ She explained. _I tried to get out, to reach you, to no avail. I could feel your desperation, anger, and anguish. I knew you needed me_. She was looking at him sadly.

_I can see why now. Just until now was I able to get out..._ She concluded. _I am truly sorry._ She was about to vanish when he surprised her. _I do not blame you. But I cannot help but wonder why? Why were you trapped? Still I am grateful that we are all alive._

She smiled at him. He felt her relief. He nodded at her, sending a wave of affection to her to show her that he was being honest.

Her gaze fell upon his injured chest. _That doesn't look good. Why did you insist -_ She started but Byleth cut in. _My students were hurt. I prefer to endure some pain if it means they are alright._ She snorted. _You are mostly concerned about Edelgard, aren't you?_

He was and he felt ashamed for it. His reaction to what happened to Ferdinand and Caspar, was not even close to the rampage he went to once he saw Edelgard get hurt. He had reactivated the Ashen Demon inside of him.

He had felt the fear of his enemies and had struck without remorse or care for their lives. He had not even cared about his other students, who were fighting at his side. He did not remember giving any orders or paying any attention to them. _Ashen Demon, eh?_ Sothis had followed his thoughts.

_A nickname that was given to me in my mercenary times._ He recalled the incident and Sothis watched.

* * *

Jeralt and his group of mercenaries were on a job, and as young Byleth had just hit puberty, was left behind to tend the horses, and keep the tents safe. Hours passed and there were no signs of his father and the group.

So, he naturally went to investigate. He found the mercenaries trapped in an abandoned town, being held 'hostage' by a larger group of bandits.

It was getting dark and he used it in his advantage. He sneaked in, being as stealthy as he possibly could. He found some sticks large enough to be used as torches, so he cut his shirt and lit them tossing them to the abandoned wooden houses that conveniently stored the stolen treasures the bandits had stolen.

As they started screaming and rushing to put the fires out, he lit other houses, using chaos to his advantage.

He almost got away with it, but he was spotted by a man rushing by. The man grabbed him. Byleth unsheathed the dagger at his hip and stabbed him like Jeralt hat taught him. The man fell to the ground motionless.

He did not look back, he marched forward, hiding once he heard someone approaching. At one point, he was not able to move forward or backwards. The bandits were blocking both of his possible escape routes.

He opted to wait long enough that the house in front of him, which caught fire because of the wind, was pretty much consumed. Minding the embers and other hot or burning materials he made his way through.

Once he emerged, he saw his father and his mercenaries at the center of a small fountain.

He approached carefully, stabbing a sleeping drunk, who was supposedly keeping watch over his 'hostages'.

He freed the group, and together all of them went after the bandits. The nickname

was given to him by one Jeralt's men, because he was covered in ash as he rescued them, his face as always emotionless.

He was never excluded from the job ever again.

* * *

_Those times are gone now, child._ She said reassuringly. They waited in silence. Manuela drew the curtain back. She was sweating and looked very tired.

"It was a good thing you let me handle that one first." She said wiping the sweat out of her forehead with a towel. "The sickle that injured her was also coated with a slow working poison." She looked back at the bed where Edelgard was now sleeping in.

"The Goddess knows what kind of pain and hallucinations she would have suffered." She said looking back with sympathy. She looked back at Byleth, who was staring at the sleeping girl.

"She will be alright." Manuela tried to reassure him. "I'm am afraid that my energy was drained from me." She continued. "I will not be able to heal you with magic tonight." She told him. At that he turned to look at her.

"I will give you this ointment, it should subdue any pain or burn you may be feeling." She made a motion to Byleth that she wanted to rub a light green paste on to his chest. He took the ointment from her hands, signaling her that he was rubbing it himself. She looked disappointed.

"You will have to stay here for the night." She said. "Although you should not feel any pain, you could get hot fevers during the night." She winked at him, suggesting something he did not want to understand.

He sighed in defeat and made a move to remove his armor. He noted that Manuela had stopped by the door and was watching him very intently. He stopped and coughed, drawing her attention to reality again. "Uh... I...I will let you rest." She said but stopped thinking out loud.

"What about the young scary one outside?" She was referring to Hubert. "Let him in for a moment. Otherwise he might demolish the walls in his anguish." He said. "Ah... Young love." She said with some jealousy in her voice.

He did not comment on the matter. Love was a dangerous topic to touch whit his female colleague. He had already an awkward conversation with her about it. He was sent to search for her. She had not attended er own class.

He found her in her room. His instincts told him to run as fast as he could, but once she saw him, she hugged him and cried. She looked out of character, messy hair with puffy eyes. Her room reeked of alcohol.

He tried to calm her down and get to the bottom of the issue. Sure enough, after a few accurate questions from him, he coerced the information out of her.

She had been 'dating' a knight, but he had dumped her almost immediately. She told him that all she did was trying to make sure the man and her were on the same page. She only had asked if the man would marry her and have children with her... On their first date.

Although Byleth was not an expert on the topic, he could understand the knight's reaction. He tried to explain that she would scare any man with those kinds of statements, seemingly to no avail.

As Manuela opened the door, she greeted Hubert. He got past her not saying anything and with long strides he reached the side of his Lady. He looked worried.

"What took so long?" He asked Byleth, ignoring Manuela. She was having none of it and answered the question. "The sickle that got her, was coated with poison." he did not seem surprised, it was as if he was aware of the poison.

"For your sake, I hope you got it out in time." He snarled at Manuela. His tone that of a threat. "Hubert!" Byleth warned him with a low deadly tone.

"Manuela here worked her ass off **to save** Edelgard. There is **no** reason for you to threaten her like that. You should be **grateful to her**!" He scolded, anger flowing from his voice.

"You will know your place. Apologize to her now." He continued, staring him down. Hubert held his stare defiantly for a moment, and finally gave in. "I am sorry, Professor Manuela. Thank you for saving Lady Edelgard's live." he said grinding his teeth. He turned to the sleeping girl.

"She will be OK." Manuela found her voice. "Rest does wonders to an injured body. Speaking of which, you should rest. For what I hear, you must have used a lot of energy during the assault." She said her voice somewhat softer lightening the mood.

"See you in the morning, Professor." She turned, but not before she had winked at him once more and left. Byleth was removing his armor and shirt, exposing his lean muscular, naked torso.

It hurt like hell as there were bits of leather and cloth fused to his burned skin and he wished he had been more careful at the battle. "I finally understand why you are called the Ashen Demon." Hubert said from his side of Edelgard's bed.

"The way you moved forward and killed anyone in your path, not caring whatsoever of damage that might have been inflicted on yourself." Hubert continued; his voice betrayed his admiration for the Ashen Demon.

"It was formidable and quite scary since you did not hold back. In combination with that blank mask you always wear..." His voice trailed off.

"No matter how you found that nickname out, those days are behind me now." Byleth repeated what Sothis had said.

He took the ointment and started rubbing it onto his chest. It was cooling and after a minute it soothed his pain. "Go rest, Hubert." The professor said. "Who are you to give me orders?" Hubert snapped raising his voice. Byleth raised his eyebrow. "Your **_professor_**. Besides, Edelgard would not want you to fret over her." He answered calmly.

"He is right, Hubert. You look like hell. Go rest." An annoyed female voice answered. Both men turned to see Edelgard, who had just woken up. "Lady Edelgard, I am relieved to see you well." Hubert bowed his tone was soft once again. "Still, I would like to accompany you -"

"No, Hubert. Go to your quarters and get some sleep. I am safe here." She cut in. "I need to rest and will not do so if you are towering over me." She argued while looking at the man on the adjacent bed. "Besides by the looks of it, our Professor will make me company tonight." She said more firmly this time.

Byleth felt how desperately Sothis was trying to hold back any comments. He felt her amusement and her great effort to restrain herself. He was thankful that she held back this time and made sure she felt it too.

Hubert looked conflicted. He really did not want to go, but his Lady had ordered him to. "Very well, but I will be here at dawn." He said. "Goodnight, Hubert." Edelgard said dismissively. Hubert bowed again and left the room.

Byleth was still sitting on his bed but was about to lay down to catch some rest. The ointment was working its purpose. "What happened to you, Professor?" Edelgard asked him, having turned her head to see him.

"I got reckless and was hit by a burning spell." He said, avoiding telling her the whole incident. He was sure enough that his students would tell her soon enough.

He noticed her staring at his naked torso for a moment too long, until she realized what she was looking at. Her gaze fell to the sword at the side of his bed, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"So, I did not dream it. I thought I had seen you with that sword at the mausoleum." She said sleepily. "Rest, Edelgard. We can talk about it tomorrow." He said softly smiling to himself. "You should rest too." She answered already closing her eyes.

He laid on the bed, not bothering to get under the covers. Sleep avoided him for a bit, his thoughts always landing on the sleeping beauty on the adjacent bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again.
> 
> I know, I know, another very long chapter. I think I am physically incapable to write short chapters… Still, I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Things start to slightly differ from the game at this point.


	5. White Clouds - Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, dear readers.
> 
> I hope you are all healthy and thank you again for your continued support.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 4)**

Just as promised Hubert arrived at the infirmary at dawn. He took his place at Edelgard's bedside. He had slept but he still looked very tired.

Byleth had woken up once his student had opened the door. His sleep had always been light. As a mercenary, he was always at risk for possible ambushes, so he got used to it.

He turned his head to see Edelgard, who was also awakening. She looked better; she was not so pale anymore. "Lady Edelgard. Are you well rested?" Hubert asked her. She groaned.

"Let me be, Hubert. I want to go back to sleep." She was pulling the covers up and turning away from Hubert, hence turning to Byleth on his bed. She had closed her eyes and continued talking. "I was having a wonderful dream about the most amazing abdo-" Hubert coughed loudly, and she opened her eyes annoyed.

Her eyes met deep emotionless blue ones. She flinched for a second and a slight blush creeped on her face. "Oh... Uh... Good morning, Professor." She said turning back to see Hubert, who was smirking at her. Sothis was laughing out loud, and Byleth felt amused even if his stare was blank.

 _Oh! This is just too good. You see, all hope is not lost. She was dreaming about your abs._ She teased as she calmed down. _It could have been anyone's. She did not specify who's._ Byleth responded in his thoughts, feeling amused and somewhat delighted.

Sothis snorted. _And who's abs did she see last night?_ She singed teasingly. "Good morning Hubert, Edelgard. How are you feeling?" he asked as politely he could. _She is feeling obviously ho-._ Sothis started. _Stop it._ Byleth had a hard time to ignore her.

"I am feeling fine, Professor. How are you?" She said, turning to see him again. He still was undressed from the waist up. He noticed that she was trying very hard not to drop her gaze to his abdomen. _See, she was dreaming about your abs. That look confirms it._ Sothis said triumphaly. She was beaming at him. _Stop it_. He responded. _Not a chance._ She responded winking at him.

Edelgard sat up with the help of Hubert. Last night Manuela had discarded her thick leather armor, leaving her with a long-sleeved undershirt and her trademark gloves on her hands. The once white shirt was heavily stained with her own dried blood. A long tear on her right shoulder allowed him to see the heavy bandaging underneath it.

Byleth could not help but to feel guilty. If only he could change it. _Somethings are written in stone. This was one of it, child._ Sothis answered, also feeling guilty.

Edelgard's gaze fell on the sword. "So, this is what the thieves were after?" She studied the sword. "Could this be a Relic, like Catherine's Thunderbrand? The material looks the same..." She was deep in though.

"It could be, but other than the known Relics, guarded by the noble families, they are pretty rare." Hubert followed her line of thoughts. "There are pictures of the known Relics drawn in our schoolbooks, but I cannot recognize this one." Edelgard nodded in agreement.

He tried to remember what he had read about Relics. He found it difficult, as he had yet to write and research about the topic for a future lesson. What he knew was that they were incredibly powerful weapons, said to have special magic properties. Usually they were the ones that chose the bearer, and not the other way around.

Byleth thought about it for a moment. The sword had responded to him immediately after he caught it. He had never felt that kind of overflowing power with any other sword he held. Even then, as it was leaning against the headboard of the bed, it was calling to him.

Manuela entered the infirmary. "Good morning." She greeted them all, looking refreshed under endless layers of make-up. She walked to Edelgard. "Mr. von Vestra, please step aside. I need to check on Ms. von Hresvelg." she asked Hubert firmly.

He was reluctant at first, but Edelgard nodded to him. Manuela drew once again the curtain giving the girl some privacy. There were noises of bandages being thrashed into a metal tray, and subtle flashes of light, indicating that Manuela was using her magic once again.

"Pity, this will leave an ugly scar, I was hoping I could spare you another one." Manuela said in a hushed tone, but loud enough for Byleth to hear it.

 _Another scar?_ Sothis was curious. She approached the curtain, passing right through it. _Oh my..._ She gasped. _So, this is what she was talking about the night, when she told us about her nightmares._ She said in a sad tone.

She sensed Byleth's curiosity. _No, child. I will not show this to you. This is something very private..._ She said in a sad soft tone. _And what gives you the authority to go snooping around, then?_ He retorted to her indignantly.

 _You are right. I should not have stepped over._ She said stepping back. _The wound is at least closed, but the skin looks fragile. She should not overdo it._ She warned him.

Manuela drew the curtain back, after she was done. "You are Ok to leave now, Miss von Hresvelg. But I am warning you, you should rest that shoulder at least three days before you go back into weapon training." She said sternly. "You will have to use a few Vulneraries and Concoctions to avoid that scar to re-open."

Then she turned to her Professor. "I hope that you will monitor her closely, so that she can heal properly." Byleth nodded. Manuela smiled and approached him. He guessed it was his turn to get healed. Manuela's glowing hand hovered just above his injury.

He could feel the dead skin being pushed out of his body, as new skin rose beneath. It stung for a moment. But after a few seconds she was done. "It will take some time for hair to grow out again, but apart from that, it should be fine." She placed one hand on his chest.

"Does this hurt?" She asked looking at his chest. He was uncomfortable about the action. Edelgard's reaction to the female professor's actions was quickly hidden from him as she had turned her face. But for a split second he saw her displeasure painted all over her face.

He shook his head to Manuela, who's hand lingered for a moment longer. Then she stepped back, clearly satisfied with her work. "You are also good to go, then." She turned to leave.

Hanneman barged into the room. He was carrying books under his arm, some sort of artifact under the other and a leather bag in his hand. He rushed to Byleth's bed. "Huff… Huff... Professor Byleth… I came as soon as I found out."

"…Good morning?" Byleth said staring at the other professor. "Ah… Yes, yes. Good Morning." He answered. He had set the books and the artifact to the bedside table and was pulling a chair in front of Byleth, practically shoving Manuela aside.

"My **esteemed** colleague. Do you not realize this is the infirmary? A place for healing?" Manuela reprimanded the scholar crossing her arms. Hanneman was not listening to her. He was fusing with one of his books. "Ah! Here it is." He ignored her.

"Now, Professor. If you would, please hold your arm out." He was reaching for a syringe from his bag. "… No." Byleth answered crossing his arms in front of him.

"I promise it will not hurt a bit." Hanneman coerced. "That is enough, Hanneman." Manuela was fuming. "I would appreciate if you would stop interfering with very my important research!" The male professor retorted back.

"…Research?" Byleth still did not understand. Manuela and Hanneman were bickering among themselves. "Professor Hanneman is a very high regarded crest scholar, my teacher." Edelgard said pinching her nose.

"He probably wants to see if you possess a crest." She said, while the other professors had stopped their curt discusision. "Indeed. You see young colleague; it is unheard of for someone to be bearer of a Relic without the proper crest." Hanneman explained.

"This is why I brought my portable Crest Analyzer with me." He said excitedly. "Ohh. I have enough of you already." Manuela said. "Come now. You have no need to be on guard" Hanneman ignored her, talking directly to Byleth and ignoring his female counterpart.

"I'd never cause you harm. You're far too valuable a specim— too valuable a member of the academy staff. Indeed, the further my Crest research progress, the closer you come to learning the truth of your heritage. Is it not so?" He continued.

"… My past is my business." Byleth said, still wary about the whole ordeal. "I promised not harm, remember? I have already reached out to mercenaries whom you've worked to understand your life before the academy." He continued.

"… You did what?" Byleth was getting a headache. "Of course, I also contacted Jeralt. Your father does keep rather interesting company. I'm excited to share with you what I learned, but I do ask that you correct me if I am mistaken on any account." The other professor continued.

"… You are crossing a line. You investigated me? When?" Byleth lowered his tone. Any other person would have been very intimidated with his antics, but not Hanneman. He was still oblivious and excited.

"The story begins with Jeralt serving as captain of the Knights of Seiros... There was a woman at the monastery with whom Jeralt was quite close. At first, it seemed obvious this mystery woman was your mother. Alas, that cannot be the case. The timing is all wrong. As it was told to me, the woman in question passed away shortly before Jeralt left the monastery..." Hanneman continued.

"Yet your birth occurred sometime later, while Jeralt was taking work as a mercenary. This, of course, presumes you age is accurately reported. If you were born sooner, well, the story would be quite different, would it not?" He finally waited.

"…." Byleth had no energy to be putting up with this. "I think this is enough Hanneman, stop pestering our colleague!" Manuela said.

"It is intriguing though, yes? Why is your age so difficult to pin down?" Hanneman ignored her. "For example, Jeralt never once spoke of his time serving as captain of the knights to you. That's quite a secret to keep for all those years." It was, but he was not in any mood to respond to his **esteemed** colleague.

"In the end, your old acquaintances had little definitive to say about either of you. However, they all agreed on one thing—your father, and yourself, were a strong pair. Warriors to be respected and feared." Byleth pinched his nose. He was trying to suppress a headache.

"You, in particular. In fact, many came to know you as the Ashen Demon. They say you would destroy your enemies without a hint of emotion on your face. The mercenaries I spoke to revered you as a living legend of sorts."

"…"

"So, that is what I learned. And, I admit, it is barely more than I knew before. The next step in my research is to ask your blood for answers, and hope that it is more forthcoming that your past acquaintances." Hanneman looked expectantly at him.

"…No." Byleth moved to stand up. "What…?" Hanneman looked devastated. "… You have gone behind my back and asked my father **and** his mercenaries **about me** , instead of just asking me." Byleth said in a low voice.

Hanneman flinched and Manuela looked satisfied. Hubert was smirking and Edelgard was deep in thought. For a moment no one spoke. "... Not only that, you come in here, the infirmary, a healing place and start researching without even asking **me**. Your most valuable… **specimen** , was it?"

"I became somewhat obsessed, I must admit." Hanneman found his voice. "Is it too late to start over?" He said hopefully.

"…" Byleth was looking around for his discarded armor. "Professor, wait." Edelgard said. He looked at her expectantly. "Although I do not approve of such… radical antics, Professor Hanneman has a point." She continued.

Byleth stared at her waiting for her to continue. "If that sword is a Relic then it means **it** chose you. This implies that you possibly possess a compatible crest." Her nose wrinkled at the thought. "Are you not curious?" She added. "I know I would be."

 _You are. You know that colleague of yours is not going to give up any time soon. You should get it over with._ Sothis said and Byleth sighed. He stared at her for a moment. Her face was once again impassive, but her eyes were calculating.

"You are advising this to me?" He asked her. "Why?" he added. "Interesting…" Manuela mused under her breath witnessing the interaction between teacher and student.

"Professor, I am advising you to let Professor Hanneman to investigate if you posses a crest. It would explain why that sword choose you to begin with." She explained, but he sensed that she was not telling him everything, her words were carefully picked.

He was going to regret it, but he held out his arm for Hanneman to draw some blood. "… Do it quickly, before I change my mind." He said. "Even more interesting…" Manuela gasped behind him.

The other professor drew some blood in a hurry. Once the syringe was out of his arm, Manuela healed him with her finger. Hanneman took his portable Crest Analyzer and put the syringe into the device. He pulled some handles and it sprung to life.

After a few seconds charged with anticipation a series of glyphs started to flicker. Byleth recognized a few of them, the crest of Seiros, the crest of Riegan, the crest of Blaiddyd. "What is the meaning of this?" Byleth asked the crest scholar.

"My devise is going through the know crests to see if your blood matches with any of them. Once it finds it, it will beep." The scholar answered, not looking up to his colleague.

Finally, the device beeped, and a crest showed up. Hanneman gasped. Manuela seemed taken aback, Hubert was deep in thought and Edelgard was blinking incredulously.

He had seen his students show their crest off above their palms. Usually they were static images of the Glyphs in its respective color. The crest in front of him moved like a flame, flickering purple and white. Almost as if it were alive.

He felt two things once the crest was revealed. The first one was that the sword was calling him to be held in his hand.

The second thing was his pull to Edelgard. Never before had he **needed** to physically restrained himself to step closer to her. O _dd… I feel it too._ Sothis mused in his mind.

"Is that…?" Edelgard said shocked distracting him long enough to get a hold on himself. "The Crest of Flames! And a major one at that!" Hanneman said. "Why this is remarkable, I need to run more tests and confirm it with my Analyzer back at my office." He pulled a lever on his portable device and the image was gone.

Then he gathered the rest of his equipment and was about to leave the room. "…Crest of Flames? Care to elaborate?" Byleth asked the room. He had never heard of that particular crest and naturally he wanted to know more.

"Huh? Ah… Yes, where to begin" The crest scholar stopped in his tracks. "The Crest of Flames, also known as the Crest of the Goddess, is one of many Crests bestowed onto humanity by the Goddess of Fódlan." He started. "Unlike the other Crests, the Crest of Flames is an extreme rarity, having been unseen for over a thousand years." He continued, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"You surely understand the implications that this discovery brings with it." He continued. "It is documented that the last known bearer of this Crest, was the King of Liberation. It is said that he left no heir behind, which adds to the mystery as why you possess it." He concluded.

"If what professor Hanneman says is true, then that means that that sword is the Sword of the Creator." Hubert said. "A gift from the Goddess herself." Edelgard agreed eying the sword closely.

 _How odd. I sense that the information that they are giving us is mostly true. But not all of it._ Sothis mused. _There is something amiss. I am sure of it… Ohhh, how terribly frustrating! I feel as I should have the answer, but it keeps slipping my mind._

"Indeed. This is why I must take my leave. There is much to research and discover yet." Hanneman said hurriedly. "I sure hope that you will agree to help my research further, young Byleth."

Byleth was deep in thought rubbing his chin. He had not really registered what Hanneman had said. It all felt… tangled. There was no clear line to follow, no clear path in front of him. He wanted answers, but all he got were more questions.

 _Sothis, would you care to help me try to disentangle this mess? I am lost and would like to get a better understanding of this whole situation._ He asked her in his mind. _I was about to ask the same. We need to start making sense of this all._ Sothis answered his call. _There must be a reason to all of this._

Byleth sighed. He looked up to see that Hanneman had already left the infirmary. He shook his head annoyed. Manuela, Hubert and Edelgard were watching him closely.

He took a moment to examine Edelgard's expression. She had donned her mask once again, but he could clearly see the shock of the news painted on her eyes. She was still calculating and analyzing frantically.

She held his stare; she was one of the few people who could do it without being intimidated or scared to death. How long they held the stare contest, he did not know. They both were brought back to their senses once Manuela coughed loudly.

She was smirking. "This day started off eventful." She said casually. "And I would love for you to stay here with me, Professor." She winked at him suggestively. She looked over to see Edelgard's reaction. The student was miserably failing to suppress a frown.

The professor smiled having confirmed what she suspected. "Regretfully, there is something I need to do." She continued walking to the door. "I do wish you wonderful free day today Professor."

"Oh, that reminds me that Lady Rhea wants to see you at the Audience Chamber." Manuela remembered. "She said she wanted you to bring that sword along with you."

He nodded, already getting out of bed. He grabbed his armor. Once he put it on again, the hole in it was revealed to him once more. He sighed. This was his favorite piece of armor, and it was ruined.

He needed to get to take a shower and a change of clothes. He had cleaned up a bit last night, but he could feel that he still had some dried blood and filth on him.

He attached the unholstered Relic to his belt. He bid his farewells to his students who were lingering a while longer than necessary in that room.

As he exited the infirmary, he met Sethet, who was quick to usher him directly to Rhea's Audience Chamber.

"I am relieved to see you well, Professor." Lady Rhea received him pleasantly. She did not seem to notice his ragged appearance, or at least she did not comment on it.

She held her hand out, silently asking for the sword at his hip. He detached it and handled it to her. Sethet, who was holding a breath, visibly relaxed. Lady Rhea was paying no thought to her assistant and was holding the sword tenderly, almost lovingly in her hands.

"I cannot thank you enough for defeating those invaders in the Holy Mausoleum, and especially for protecting the Sword of the Creator."

Byleth must have made a face, because she smiled at him, and continued. "This sword is one of the Heroes' Relics, and the most precious artifact in the church's possession." She said softly.

"It is also a weapon of terrifying power. For now... I will entrust the sword to you." She said, retuning the sword to Byleth. "Please, use it wisely."

Sethet visibly paled. His protest came quickly. "Lady Rhea, wait!" He cried, taking a few steps forward. "Do you truly mean to give the Sword of the Creator to this stranger?!" He pleaded. For a second Rhea looked annoyed.

"Surely it is not the sort of thing that one hands over so readily, even to someone who has the ability to wield it!" He said explaining himself. "If someone like Nemesis were to appear again, all of Fódlan would be consumed by war!" He said eying Byleth suspiciously.

"Nemesis?" Byleth asked. He had no idea who this was. "Nemesis, the King of Liberation." Sethet said reproachingly. "He is an ancient king of mankind who was defeated by Seiros over a thousand years ago. When Fódlan was attacked by wicked gods, it is said that the goddess gifted Nemesis with the Sword of the Creator." He explained further, his irritation painted in his face.

"Nemesis used that sword to defeat said wicked gods, saving all of Fódlan. Henceforth he was dubbed the King of Liberation." He continued his tone betrayed the annoyance he felt.

"However, his power began to corrupt him until he, himself, turned to the darkness. Saint Seiros was forced to destroy him." He concluded with his lecture.

Turning again to Rhea, he added "Lady Rhea, I beg you to reconsider. Given a little more time, we could more accurately assess this stranger's abilities."

"No. I have faith, Seteth." She said firmly but never losing her soft demeanor. "Faith that our friend here will not be corrupted by wickedness. Since the death of Nemesis, none have been able to wield the Sword of the Creator. Now, after all those long years of being sealed away, it has returned and found a new master."

She motioned Sethet to back off. "I...understand. As you wish, Lady Rhea." He said defeated with a little bow.

"There you have it, Professor. See that you do not betray the trust the Archbishop has seen fit to bestow upon you." He said warningly. "That is all." He said already turning to leave. "Oh! I almost forgot. Jeralt is looking for you." Sethet said.

Byleth bowed and left. He was halfway to his room, when Sothis decided to speak. _The Sword of the Creator. The King of Liberation. Each tale is more confusing than the last!_ She said breathlessly. _And I really cannot read that Rhea at all... That sword is clearly precious... So why is she so keen to gift the thing to you?_

He had thought the same. _It certainly is strange. I feel as though we have become entangled in yet another mystery..._ She said. He felt that way too. _And there is one more thing that has been plaguing me. The Sword of the Creator... It somehow feels distinct from other Relics we have seen._

She was thinking furiously. _Such as the one that... Oh goodness, what was her name? Ca... Cat..._ She was struggling. _Catherine?_ He offered. _Yes! Her! The Sword of the Creator differs from her Thunderbrand in one keyway._

She was pensive once again. _It bears a hole...where something should have been but is no more._ She was trying to remember now. She huffed in frustration.

 _I despise not knowing what is going on! It...it frightens me._ She turned to see him. _And yet... I place my trust in you. I must. Whatever comes to pass...please swear to cut a path that is your own._ He nodded to her solemnly. _I swear that I will._

* * *

Later that day Byleth set off to find his father. It led to a wild chase of goose through the whole monastery.

But when Byleth finally found him, he was standing at the cemetery. Once his father spotted him, he signaled him to join him. "Hey." He greeted. "I wanted to ask you to join me, but I couldn't find you." He smiled at him.

"So here I am." Byleth answered. He just looked at him. Jeralt coughed. "I was thinking we should visit...your mother. She's resting beneath this humble grave..." He continued signaling a tombstone. Byleth was confused.

"Why is her grave here?" He asked. "Hm? Oh. Of course, you would ask that." Jeralt scratched the back of his head, visibly struggling with his thoughts. "I wouldn't know where to begin..." He said.

"I suppose I haven't talked much about her." Byleth shook his head. "She was gentle and smart. So smart. A wonderful cook. Always kind to everyone." He said sadly. "And... she loved flowers. Whenever I brought her back an unusual flower, her face would light up." He smiled at the memory.

"I cherish those memories. I can't count how many times she made me happy just by smiling." He looked at Byleth. "And she smiled the most...when she was pregnant with you." This gave Byleth something to think of. Until now he had not ever considered that his mother would care or love him. She was already gone once he was old enough to remember anything.

"She died right after you were born. She wasn't able to spend much time with you." Jeralt continued as if reading his thoughts. "But she loved you with all her heart. That is the truest thing I know... Never forget it." He then reached for his pocket and pulled out a silver ring with some brilliant stones on it.

"This ring is the only keepsake I have of her. In time, it will be yours. One day, I hope you'll give this ring to someone you love as well as I loved her." He put the ring again in his pocket.

Byleth took a moment to examine the tombstone. It was a plain stone, there were markings long erased where the name should have been. It was now illegible. His father looked at him staring at it deep in thought himself.

There were a thousand things he wanted to ask, but of all of them the first thing that came out of his mouth was. "What was her name?" It was something he always wanted to know.

"Sitri." His father answered. He smiled. "Sitri." Byleth repeated. Her name was easy on the lips. "It was a beautiful name." He added unthinkingly. "Yes, indeed." His father answered.

"Why did you leave?" Byleth asked genuinely curious. "I couldn't bear the memories." Jeralt responded sincerely. "So, I decided to leave, and take you with me." Byleth had the feeling that there was more to be said. But Jeralt continued before he had the chance to ask anything else.

"Besides, Rhea was starting to hoard you up." He said crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Maybe it was her motherly instinct, but something did not sit right with me." He said, anger creeping into his voice.

"She was keen to send me away on long missions, while she offered to take care of you. Once I got back, she always found some excuse to not return you to me." He continued.

"Just as she is doing now." Byleth answered. "Yeah..." Jeralt agreed by nodding. "What I would give to leave this place, but I am incapable to tear you away, now." He said.

"You have grown to be more open here, as you were in the wild with me." He said sighing. "I have wondered if taking you away was the right choice in the first place." He put a hand on Byleth's shoulder.

"It was the right choice." Byleth looked at his father. "Everything happens for a reason." That was something Sothis had told him before. "I am glad we were able to have a few years for ourselves. I would not have been able to learn how to fish properly with Alois around." Byleth smiled at Jeralt.

"See there, a joke and a smile!" Jeralt said. "That is a rare sighting for the Ashen Demon!" He teased. Byleth made a face. "I don't think I can live up to that nickname anymore." Byleth responded, teasing back.

"Aye, I agree. This monastery has made you soft." Jeralt said smiling. "I am glad for it." He added sincerely. "Come, let us go eat and drink something. We can talk some more then."

* * *

They headed out of the monastery and ended up in the village nearby. They quickly found the local tavern. Inside, it was buzzing with people. Locals, travelers and even a few knights and students from the academy.

The two of them found a table to sit at and ordered each an ale and a soup. Jeralt and Byleth scanned the room, like they always had done once they entered any tavern. An old habit hard to break, searching for potential customers for their mercenary service.

They finished the scan and looked at each other. Jeralt smiled. "No need for that now, eh?" Byleth shook his head, remembering how often they had done this in the past.

"Man…It seems like ages ago." Jeralt sighed. "When was the last time we shared a meal together? He asked. Byleth had to think about it. "I think it was the night before we got entangled in this… mess."

Jeralt looked at him. "Heh. I have never heard so many words coming out from that mouth at once." He smiled.

"…Kind of my job. I am a professor after all. I am required to _talk_ a lot." Byleth stared at his father. "Heh. You may have a point there." Jeralt sighed. "Anyway… You seem to like it at the monastery."

"… You sound surprised." Byleth answered. "The circumstances of our current situation aside, I rather enjoy being a teacher." He continued.

"Really, huh?" Jeralt seemed surprised. He smirked at him and continued. "You enjoy teaching? Or do you enjoy the company of the resident Princess at your house?"

"I do enjoy her comp-" Byleth's eyes widened. He never expected his father to be so observant. "…What?" He narrowed his eyes at his father.

Jeralt chucked. "So, it is true after all." He seemed pleased. "I should thank her sometime soon."

"... Again what?" Byleth was getting irritated at his father's antics. "Care to explain?" He demanded.

"There is no need to be upset about it." He smirked once again. "Some knights have been talking about it. How you seem to prefer her company above all other students."

"Are you insinuating…" Byleth shook his head. "Edelgard is the House leader of the Black Eagles. As their professor, I am required to communicate with her constantly." It was the perfect explanation.

"Sure, kid." Jeralt said shaking his head smiling. Byleth relaxed a bit. But his father continued. "But all those tea parties you hosted for her. Down at the gazebo with a lot of fine pastries and fine teas…" Jeralt was not going to leave him off the hook.

"I…." Byleth's mind was frantically searching for an answer. He was not able to find any. "..T-that's enough."

Jeralt was chuckling again. "I am messing with ya." He said smirking again. "To see the day when my boy finally falls in love…" He trailed off still smirking.

"Falling in love!?" Byleth rubbed his chin. He did have feelings for students. But none of them were as pronounced as to what he felt for Edelgard. Still to call it 'love' was a bit too over the top.

"You haven't realized it yet, huh?" Jeralt was thoughtful. "Oh well, maybe that gave you the necessary push to figure it out." He said his face softening. "For what it's worth, I think you made a fine choice." He winked at his son.

"Huh?" Byleth felt embarrassed. _You really are an oaf..._ Sothis was amusing herself. _Hey… Are you not supposed to be on my side?_ He huffed in response. _And where is the fun in that?_ She answered.

"Room for two more?" A female voice said from behind him. "Catherine! Of course. Come, sit down." Jeralt said already pulling a chair out beside him. Byleth greeted Catherine with a wave, still thinking that everyone was plotting against him.

Catherine was a very attractive young woman with messy blond hair and blue eyes. She wore her white Knight of Seiros armor with maroon leather adornments. Thunderbrand was holstered firmly at her side.

She sat beside Byleth. "Professor, I don't think that you know my partner." She motioned to the other young woman who was sitting down beside Jeralt. "This is Shamir, an honorary knight at the service from Lady Rhea."

"We have already met once before." Byleth said absentmindedly. Jeralt patted Shamir's shoulder in greeting. "Hello, Sir Jeralt." Shamir responded with a smile. "Hello, there Professor." She looked at Byleth.

He greeted her nodding to her. "Not a talkative one, huh?" She smiled as she shook her head. "Don't take it personal. He is always like that." Jeralt answered distracted looking for a waitress.

"Hope we are not interrupting something." Shamir said while Jeralt had finally found someone and waved at her. "No, no. Just doing my fatherly duty to tease a son." He said turning around.

"Dad…." Byleth said looking at his father reproachingly. "Ohh. What about? Maybe we can pitch in." Catherine said smirking.

"Please don't." Byleth said sighing. "Alright, alright. I will let you off the hook." Jeralt said holding his hands up. "For now." Jeralt smiled, while receiving his ale.

"So, what brings you here to this fine establishment?" Jeralt asked, and after a long sip, he continued. "How did the scouting go?"

"Those thieves did not leave any traces to follow." Catherine said, looking at Byleth. "Not even Shamir was able to find anything." She continued.

"Indeed." Shamir said, while Jeralt took another long sip. The girls ordered something to eat and drink.

"Anyway, we did find _something_. Not sure what, though." Shamir continued. "We need to get it to Lady Rhea, but we figured that we could make a short stop here to replenish our strength." Catherine said.

Jeralt nodded. He had already 'sipped' half of his ale and was ordering a second one. A while later, their food arrived. The soup was delicious. Byleth was enjoying it very much.

Jeralt ate a few spoonfuls of his owm soup but was not overly interested in eating. "Everything OK, with your soup?" The waitress asked them.

"It is delicious." Byleth answered emotionless. The waitress did not seem convinced. "It is Ok if you don't like it..."

"Nonsense!" Jeralt boomed loudly. "Watch!" He took his own spoon in his hand and tried to put it into Byleth's bowl. But his son was not having any of it.

He reflected his father's spoon with his. It led to a spoon duel between the two, ending in Jeralt's spoon to be broken. "See. He never shares the food he loves."

He laughed alongside the women at his table. "Uh... I will be needing a new spoon, please." He added. The waitress was now somewhat scared and taken aback. "Oh my..." she said leaving quickly.

"You have your own soup." Byleth said indignantly. Which caused another fit of laughter.

They stayed there for a few more hours. Jeralt was drunk, and therefore noisy. The rest of the group was also tipsy, but not as much as the former captain was.

The sun had set when they left the tavern. Byleth and Catherine were practically dragging Jeralt back to the monastery. Once there, they left him snoring in his room, at the knight's quarters. Catherine and Shamir excused themselves to their respective rooms, blabbing something about training in the morning and going to see Lady Rhea.

He made his way to his room, thinking about what his father had said to him earlier in the day. He was not in love with his student, right? _Whatever, let_ _ **us**_ _sleep already._ Sothis answered sleepily.

* * *

He woke up with a slight headache. He got up and did his morning routine before heading to his houseroom. He could hear the exited chatter from the students inside the classrooms.

He stopped for a moment, looking down to the sword at his hip. Rhea had gifted him with a scabbard for the sword. It fit perfectly to the length and special shape of the sword. It was not new. It seemed to be as much of a relic as the sword was.

Sethet had told him, that he was always to carry the sword with him. He needed to get used to it and he specifically told him not to lose it.

"Hello, Professor." said a very melodic voice from behind him. "Good morning, Dorothea." He replied turning his head to greet her. "Shall we?" He continued motioning her to enter the classroom. She winked at him and started walking swaying her hips, so that her skirt would emphasize her walk.

 _A minx that one._ Sothis commented. _Yeah, she is much like her former teacher Manuela._ He answered her, recalling their previous chats. _Must be a songstress trait._ Sothis concluded.

"All right, all right. Settle down." He said once he was behind his desk. He stood there as he watched his calm down and turn their attention to him. He picked up a book from his desk and opened it. "Today's lesson is about combat arts. Open your book at page-"

A hand shot up. "Yes, Ferdinand?" "Professor, I think it is my noble duty to point out that we did a very good job at the mausoleum-" he said but was interrupted by the professor. "Good job?" He really did not want to do this now. "Ferdinand..." The professor sighed.

"Half of the class including myself were hurt, how was that a good job?" He answered coolly. He was remembering the incident.

"If you had acted like the unit we should be, we would have been able to avoid us being benched for the next few days." He said looking at his student. The rest of the classroom was deadly quiet, they had never heard him this angry before.

"Benched?!" Caspar complained loudly. "Is this all a joke for you two?!" Byleth was fuming. He tried to calm himself. "What were you trying to proof with that stunt?" He asked, not waiting for an answer he continued.

"To be the noble that saved the day? Or to be the fierce warrior that slayed an obviously stronger foe?"

 _Stop it. This is getting out of hand._ Sothis intervened. He felt a wave of soothing feelings take over him. He took a deep breath, calming himself.

"All I am asking of you is to stop and think. This is not the first time it happened. We are a unit, but back at the mausoleum, you were acting for your personal gain." Byleth said calmly now. Another hand shot up. This time it was Dorothea.

"Is this why you went rampage against the Death Knight?" Byleth sighed. He collected his thoughts and answered. "If we all had worked together, like we were supposed to do, we would have defeated him." He explained closing his book loudly. It was clear that they would not be learning about combat arts today.

He eyed Caspar and Ferdinand, who were unable to meet his eye. "Can anyone recall the situation?" He might as well turn this to a lesson. "Caspar was hurt, Lindhardt was healing him and Ferdinand was weaponless." Hubert analyzed.

"A third of our force was down or unable to help." He continued. "Yes, the fallen forces had needed for our protection." Petra offered. "We had gone into formation to protecting them." She continued.

Byleth nodded. "Correct, what happened next?" he asked. "You gave the signal to us, magic users." Lysithea chimed in. "We attacked to distract him." She continued. "And what went wrong?" He asked again.

"Petra and I attacked in unison. The Death Knight countered the attack. I didn't dodge in time." Edelgard said reproachingly. "I was injured with his sickle." She seemed angry at herself.

"Correct, at that moment, I realized that this foe was just too much for us to handle." Byleth continued giving Edelgard a sympathetic look. "My sole concern was to get his attention, and that way to protect you all from horrible deaths." Turning to face each of them.

"It was truly remarkable, to see the Ashen Demon in action." Hubert said with a sneer on his lips. "Ashen Demon?" Dorothea asked looking at Hubert.

"What are you talking about, Hubie?" She Asked. Byleth wished his student had not opened that particular can of worms. Byleth sighed again. His past was catching up to him after all.

"A nickname I earned during my mercenary days." He answered before Hubert could say anything. "It is not a topic I would have liked to discuss with you." He said looking away. "It is a well-known and feared name." He said sitting down. "Why was it given to you?" Caspar asked eager to get the whole story.

"I think we should get back to class." Said Edelgard, as if she had felt the discomfort Byleth was feeling. "I believe as a noble, it would be best to know what our beloved Professor-" Ferdinand was saying but was cut off by Edelgard.

"As a noble you should know better than to pry into another one's private matters. If he ever chooses to tell us, then we will listen." She said firmly. "But until then, we should trust him." She said it while looking at him.

 _Nice save, little one._ Sothis was applauding Edelgard. _She cares about you._ She added sticking her elbow to his ribcage. Byleth ignored the sensation he felt, while nodding his gratefulness to his student.

Sensing it was not enough he added. "Thank you, Edelgard." He turned to his students standing up. "Now, please open your books. Page 178. You may have already used a few combat arts, but what are they?" He continued his class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had completely forgotten to touch the issue of the Crest o Flames in the past. I think I managed to squeeze it nicely in into this chapter.
> 
> The spoon battle was inspired by an image I saw on Pinterest. I do not know who the original artist is, but I really enjoyed her/his creativity.
> 
> If you enjoyed, please don't be a stranger and leave a review.
> 
> Until next time.


	6. White Clouds - Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, dear readers.
> 
> I hope you are all healthy and thank you again for your continued support.
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 5)**

The Black Eagles stopped to rest their horses and set up camp for the night. A few knights were helping the students to unload the provided tents into a clearing with a river nearby.

This time Gilbert was the commanding knight accompanying them. He was a man in his fifties, his face wrinkled and scarred. His orange hair was turning grey. Byleth had never met him, but he could not shake the feeling that the man looked familiar somehow.

His students were chatting among themselves keeping a light mood. But Byleth knew they were nervous. He could see them fidgeting and glancing at him nervously.

He understood that his students were concerned about him. He had been deep in thought the whole journey to the cold north, barely speaking with them.

They were in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, hunting down a band of thieves that had managed to steal a Hero's Relic. Their mission consisted in routing the thieves and retrieve the weapon. Easy enough.

The difficult part of it was that the leader of the band was the former heir of House Gautier and Sylvain's older brother. He had wanted to accompany the group and to try to reason with his older brother.

But Lady Rhea had refused vigorously. She argued that it would be better for others to deal with the situation instead, as they would be less emotionally attached.

"Be careful, dear Professor. If that thief tries to use the Lance of Ruin, there will be grave consequences. You must use any means to stop him." Lady Rhea said to him, her eyes were full of concern but also rage.

Those words had stuck with both Byleth and Sothis. They had pondered on them the whole journey.

Sothis was on the verge on remembering something important, but it always slipped through her fingers. She was terribly frustrated, and that frustration was starting to affect Byleth.

The had long ago decided not to trust Lady Rhea. Sure, she was kind and caring. But she was also ruthless. She could give the order to kill without batting an eyelash and still sounding sweet caring at the same time.

It set all their instincts on high alert.

He had been walking or riding in autopilot, always deep in thought. He had yet to find out why Sothis was 'trapped' in her throne room the day he got the sword of the creator.

There were a few theories that they had been thinking of. None of them were directly connected and it lead them both to think that he may be an unwillingly participant of various unrelated events that were to unfold.

And if Sothis' gut was any indication to it; these events were going to unravel soon enough. It made them uneasy and unprepared.

He had just set his simple tent up at the side of the clearing. His students' tents were placed about 50 meters away from his in half a circle. The Knights were building up a fire to cook and keep them warm and setting a few logs for the students to sit on.

He sat on ice cold the ground beside his tent. He watched as a few knights along with Petra and Dorothea prepared for their hunter duties. He was sure that Petra would bring something back. She was an excellent hunter.

Dorothea on the other side would not bring anything back. She seemed to have other interests on her mind. He had noted that the two girls had become very close friends.

He heard bickering. Ferdinand and Hubert. _Those two are always bickering like an old couple._ Sothis chimed in. _Maybe there is more to it._ She winked at him attempting to lighten his mood.

Byleth thought about it. It could be possible, but he had never pinned Hubert to be interested in any kind romantic relationships. Sothis seemed to consider his train of thought.

_He is very attached to Edelgard._ He answered. _Is that jealousy what I am feeling?_ Sothis mocked him. _Honestly, you should tell her how you feel._ She sighed defeated once she got no answer to her teasing.

He had come to terms with his feelings after his brief 'heart to heart' talk with his father. Once the realization had set in, it was as if a puzzle had been solved, one of the many that governed his live.

_I am still her teacher. It would be unproper for me to court her._ He said rubbing circles at his temples. _Keep telling you that. She is just as interested in you as you are in her._ She responded.

_What makes you say that, Sothis?_ He asked curious. _I thought you were not interested! Ha!_ She mocked him merrily. But continued talking, nonetheless.

_She is always happy to accept a private tea party invitation from you, she is always first to get to class for a chance to talk with you, even if it is only class topics. There was the incident at the infirmary mere weeks ago…. I could go on if you want._ Sothis listed with her fingers with each point she came up with.

_Maybe, but she is the future emperor of the Empire while I am a mere mercenary._ Byleth sighed still rubbing his temples. _She is out of my league, Sothis._

"Professor, do you have a headache?" Byleth heard Edelgard say, nearly jumping out of his skin. He had not heard her approach him.

He looked up to see her standing in the spot where Sothis was standing a moment ago. _Why didn't you warn me?_ He asked her. _You have been avoiding her long enough._ Sothis answered before she retreated into his mind.

He had been unwillingly avoiding his students during the four-day trip to the Kingdom. He just needed time to sort his thoughts out.

Byleth feared that his attention to her could be categorized as favoritism. Still, there was no way to deny that he enjoyed her company the most and that she had become his favorite student.

The pull he had felt the first time he laid eyes on her was stronger than ever. Maybe it was because he had finally accepted his feelings towards her. He did not know, and this journey had not helped him clear any of those doubts.

Realizing he had not yet answered Edelgard's question, he said. "No. I have been thinking about a few things that do not seem logical to me." He blurted out.

"Oh? Maybe I can help you?" She said hopefully. "May I sit down?" He motioned to sit on a small fallen log beside him. His rear was ice cold as he was still sitting on the ground and did not want her to face the same fate.

He collected his thoughts. "I have been thinking on something Lady Rhea said to me." He started. He saw that Edelgard was listening intently and frowned at the mention of the Archbishop.

"She said that there would be consequences if the thief were to use the stolen relic." He continued. "What I cannot understand is what kind of consequences and why?"

"As far as I know, Miklan was the former heir from House Gautier." She explained. "His father disowned him, once Sylvain's Crest was discovered." She continued, her voice clearly showing her disgust.

"Since Miklan had no Crest to show, he was thrown to the streets to fend for himself." She sounded angry. Byleth turned to see her in the eye. She was beautiful even if she was angry. _Focus!_ He reminded himself.

"He had no choice than to become what he is now." Edelgard continued. "There are rumors on what happens if someone uses a Relic, if he or she is not bearer of the compatible Crest."

"What rumors?" He asked. "One could die slowly of exhaustion. Or the Relic will eventually consume the holder's sanity." She continued.

"Consumed or killed from exhaustion? How?" He asked her, rubbing his chin. "Yes, if you do not have the compatible Crest to the weapon. And the weapon does not like you." She said again disgusted. "So, we are trying to save Miklan's live?" Byleth concluded.

"I don't think Rhea will be merciful, if he survives." She answered still disgusted. "I sadly agree..." He answered. After a few moments in silence, he decided to change the subject.

"What were Ferdinand and Hubert arguing about?" She looked at him and took the opportunity to keep talking to him.

"I really do not know. They seem to be fighting a lot lately." She said thoughtfully. "Hubert can be... intense at times."

That comment made Byleth uncomfortable. "How so?" He asked and prayed to the Goddess that he sounded casual.

"Well, he has sworn his live to serve me." She started. "He has never left my side after... my confinement." She looked down.

"I see." Byleth remembered what she had told him mere weeks ago. It still boiled his blood to the core. And still he could not avoid feeling a bit disappointed.

"He is the only person who I ever befriended." She continued. "And tough he can be annoying and direct at times; he has never crossed me." She concluded.

"Well, you have made fast friends at the monastery." Byleth said, giving her an out. "They are all rowdy, but they have your back." He said.

"Is that a smile on your face?" She said curiously. He frowned. He had not realized he was smiling. "I think I have never seen a on your face." She almost in shock her hand on her chin.

"I shall remember it." She said smiling herself. "It seems that you have become fond of us rowdy lot." she said teasingly.

"Well, we spend so much time together it is hard not to." He said teasing her back. They fell into a comfortable silence.

He turned to see the Knights finish setting up the camp. A few of them were aligning rocks in a circle and others bringing wood to set up the campfire.

He had never cared for campfires. Even in his mercenary times he never cared to join the others to 'bond' as Jeralt named it. _She is staring at you._ Sothis's singing voice rang in his mind.

He turned his head to look at Edelgard, catching her staring at him. But she did not look away and held his stare.

He could not decipher her expression. For once, she was not evaluating him as she always seemed to do. It looked like she was having a mental discussion with herself.

Byleth's mind started racing as he watched her beautiful face. He forgot for a moment that he was her teacher and allowed his imagination to go wild.

He imagined how her lips would feel on his own, how soft her hair would be. _Focus, you fool! Snap out of it_. He reprimanded himself.

His body had moved on its own, allowing him to sit beside her on the small fallen log. She must have moved as well, to make place for him. Their thighs were so close together that he could feel her warmth.

He tried very hard to ignore that fact. He forced his face to turn to see the camp side once more. He felt very confused. She stood up

"Ever since I met you, I feel some kind of pull to you." He said quietly not thinking what he was saying. _Careful now! You do not want to ramble all of it to her!_ Sothis scolded him angrily.

But before she could say anything else. Edelgard spoke up. "A pull?" She sounded shocked. "You feel it too?" She asked bewildered.

He was not sure how to handle the information. "How?" He asked confused. "I... I might have an idea. But I can't tell you just now." She said.

"Why not?" He said more forcefully than he intended. " _Because_ this is not the place nor the time to do so." She said just as forcefully.

"Too many eyes and ears." She added quietly. He wanted to stand up and pace, but Edelgard put a gloved hand on his shoulder stopping him.

"I _will_ tell you; I promise. But you need to trust me on this." He stood up and locked his eyes to hers. He saw something in her eyes. A silent plea to trust her.

"Alright. I will trust you." He said defeated. She nodded gratefully. "I will see you in the morning for the mission." He turned his body to walk into the woods. He needed time to discuss this with Sothis

"Will you join us for dinner tonight?" Edelgard called back. He stopped for a moment turning around to face her once again. "It would put a bit of ease to my peer's minds if you did." She explained. "They have been concerned about you lately." She added.

Byleth sighed. "I am usually not one to join any bonfires. Not even with my father's troop." He said. Edelgard looked crestfallen. _You really are an oaf._ Sothis scolded him yet again. _She was asking YOU to join HER to the bonfire._ She explained. _Then why did she ask it like that?_ Byleth was confused.

"… OK." He sighed. "OK? Does this mean that you will join us?" The student asked hopefully. "…Yes." He said simply nodding. He turned and continued his walk to the nearby woods.

Once there, he leaned into a tree. _That was... disturbing. And odd._ Sothis referring to Edelgard's secrecy. _What could that girl be hiding?_ She continued.

_I feel caught in the middle._ Byleth answered hopelessly. That statement made Sothis pause. _Yes, I was feeling that too. Between our own mystery and your student's privateness..._ Sothis trailed off, deep in thought.

_I wonder if that Rhea has something to do with this whole mess._ She wondered after a few moments. The statement caught Byleth by surprise.

_Rhea? How so?_ He asked considering the possibility. _That Rhea seems very attached to you, as you have already noticed._ Sothis pointed out.

_And she is trying to separate you from your father. Which is… rude._ She continued _Yes, that is all true, but where is the connection?_ Byleth asked.

_That is the part of the mystery that keeps evading me._ Sothis huffed. _Every time I am about to grasp it, it slips through my fingers. As if something was blocking my memories and mocking me._

Byleth did not know how long he had been standing there. It was already dark, and the cold air was starting to numb his cheeks. _We need to get back._ He finally said.

_I agree._ Sothis answered sighing. He slowly made his way to his tent. _Where do you think you are going?_ Sothis asked him crossing her arms in front of her while floating beside him.

_To get some rest…?_ He answered. _Have you already forgotten that you agreed to eat with your student by the bonfire tonight?_

_Right…_ He had forgotten. _Where would I be without you, Sothis?_ He heard a sigh. _Dead. Many, many times over._ He chuckled. _You are probably right._

Byleth adjusted his course and went to meet his students.

* * *

Miklan's band of thieves were holed up inside a ruined tower deep in the Conand territory. It was built on top of a cliff overlooking a thunderous rapids river.

The tower used to be defensive point guarding the Kingdom border from attacks coming from the great gulf in the east of the territory. But since a treaty was signed between the Alliance, the Sreng and the Kingdom was signed some forty to fifty years ago, it was abandoned and left to decay.

Byleth had asked Shamir to accompany them to this mission. He had heard that she was the best scout the Knights of Seiros had to offer. The former dagdan mercenary had ridden ahead to survey the terrain.

The group of students and knights met up with her at dawn. The weather had fouled, and it was raining heavily. Black clouds could be seen in the distance. The cold wet air swept into their very core.

Byleth would not be surprised if any of his students would fall ill with a cold in the next few days. He hoped that Manuela would have a quick remedy for them, so that they would not miss class.

The surroundings of the Conand Tower were unkept, the once man-made clearing to the entrance was long ago reclaimed by nature, providing them some cover to approach the structure under cover from bushes and trees.

Shamir had reported that there were no booby traps set up, but Byleth still told his students to advance carefully.

They managed to reach the fallen outer wall that once protected the tower. Inside the foliage was dense, but it was clear that Miklan's band had been cutting down trees inside of those walls.

It looked like they were repairing parts of the ruins to make it winterproof in the next few months. The band was clearly preparing for a harsh winter ahead of them.

Maybe it was too early, or the students had increased their stealth level quickly; no one had raised the alarm yet. It made Byleth uneasy. Even the dumbest of thieves were careful enough to put guards and patrols to avoid being caught unaware.

Besides the sound of the rapids, Byleth could hear wood working tools at work somewhere nearby. Byleth motioned to Gilbert and his accompanying Knights to go and check it out.

Shamir was about to follow when Byleth grabbed her wrist. He motioned her follow but to stay out of view to cover them just in case. She nodded and climbed on a tree to have a better vantage point.

The rest of the troop waited for a few minutes until only the sound of the river was heard. Shamir, Gilbert and his Knights returned unharmed. Byleth nodded and marched carefully forward.

They moved slowly to the entrance of the tower. There were two guards stationed there. One of them was sleeping, the other one looked bored to the bone. Byleth stopped and looked around.

Byleth looked at Shamir. She nodded and motioned Bernadetta to follow her. The shy student was reluctant at first, but Caspar elbowed her giving her the needed push to do so.

Edelgard moved forward quietly. She hunched down next to her professor. "What is the plan?" She asked him quietly.

"… We wait until Shamir and Bernadetta return. Depending on what they scouted, we will move forward and take those two out." Byleth answered just as quietly motioning to the guards.

"This feels off, my teacher. Why aren't there more guards?" She asked after a few moments of waiting. "… Because it is a trap." He simply said. "… Or Miklan is not as smart as the Church painted him to be." He added.

In truth he was feeling uneasy. _Sothis? You there?_ He asked his companion. _Yes, dear child, I am here._ Her voice rang in his mind. _What do you make of it?_ He asked her. _Your princess is right. This feels like the assault in the Mausoleum._

_That is not a good omen._ He answered. _That was the mission where you disappeared._ He said frowning. He heard something snap behind them. He rested his hand on his sword, ready for an attack. His students prepared themselves too.

Bernadetta and Shamir came into view. "All clear." He heard Shamir say. "Just the two of them." He nodded.

"Ok, here we go. Shamir, Bernadetta take care of them, please." Byleth said. "The rest of you, be ready, we are going in as quietly as we can." He saw the two archers take position.

The two archers nocked and drew an arrow each and, in a heartbeat, they released them. The arrows flew and hit their targets. The poor asleep guard did not even wake up. The other let a yelp of surprise before he too stumbled to the ground.

The group moved swiftly. They entered the tower. It was dark inside and no soul to be seen. "This is wrong." Gilbert said. "Be wary. The floor might give out if you are not careful." The seasoned knight warned the students.

"Definitely a trap." Byleth said. "We will have to spring it." He continued forward. "Oh no…" He heard Bernadetta lament in the back. Regardless of any possible objection the students had, they continued forward.

The hallway they were currently in was run down. The wooden floor had cracks and holes in it, on the walls hung ragged pieces of blue and silver fabric that were once banners adorning the stone walls. The beams that supported the roof were either rotten or broken. Miklan's thieves had repaired a few, but it was not enough.

The stairs that took you to the upper floors were barricaded with whatever the thieves found. There were rotten chairs and tables, as well some rusted candle chandeliers and a few rusty weapons like swords or lances.

"At least Miklan had the common sense to block those down." Edelgard whispered sarcastically. "I agree, it was the noble thing to do." Ferdinand said earning a sigh from Hubert.

"Gilbert, I have a feeling that we will need your help to guard our rear." Byleth ignored his students remarks for the moment. He was looking at the shadows ahead. He could sense through Sothis that there was something there. "Lysithea, can you give us some light?"

Lysithea nodded and held her hand up. A bright orange flame appeared. It illuminated the long hallway they were in.

"They are funneling us to that door on the end." Hubert said. "Indeed." said Byleth "Be wary of those doors on the sides. Although they are closed, that does not mean that they are empty." He warned his students.

They continued forward weapons in hands, ready for any sneak attack. But none came. Byleth was calm on the outside, but he was nervous on the inside. _This is wrong._ _Very wrong_. Sothis said. _Indeed._ Byleth was trying to focus.

_Duck!_ Sothis shouted. Byleth ducked as quickly he could, but the arrow still embedded itself on his right shoulder. He crouched and looked in the direction the arrow came. "Damn." He said once he saw a crossbow hidden on one of the roof holes.

"Professor!" Dorothea and Lindhardt were advancing quickly. "Slowly." He held his hand up. "Booby traps." He 'explained'. _Do you want to turn back time, my child?_ Sothis said concerned. _No, not yet. We still do not know what else is in store for us._ He reasoned.

Once Dorothea and Lindhardt arrived, he ripped the arrow out allowing them to heal him. He nodded his thanks once they finished and stood up. "Are you alright, my teacher?" Edelgard said.

Byleth saw that she was concerned, she was gripping her axe so hard, that he was sure that her knuckles were white, even if he could not see them over the fabric of her signature gloves.

He nodded again glancing at the 'final' door. "Dorothea, please help Lysithea and give us more light." The professor instructed. Dorothea nodded and just like her fellow student did before, she rose a hand and manifested a bright orange flame above her.

_Sothis, can you see the triggers?_ He asked. _Some of them, yes._ She answered. He nodded. "There are a few more traps ahead. What would you like to do?" He asked.

"Turn around and go home." Bernadetta said. "Nonsense, we need to be careful and move forward." Hubert said. "Maybe we could trigger the traps somehow." Edelgard said.

"How would you do that?" Byleth raised an eyebrow. "We may be able to throw rocks, debris or arrows to trigger most of them." She explained. "I have got an idea!" Caspar beamed. He ran back and grabbed one of the rusted chandeliers that blocked the stairs.

"Out of the way!" He said and spun around with the rusty object. The students, knights and the professor scrambled to the wall. Caspar released the chandelier.

It flew through the air and came down with a thunderous metallic noise. It did the trick, the booby traps were triggered. Various arrows and lances launched and embedded themselves on the floor and walls.

For a moment, no one spoke. "Well, there goes our cover." Hubert said. Byleth turned to Caspar. "Well done." He nodded. The student beamed at him.

"Let's hurry." Byleth ordered, moving forward. "We do not want them to be too prepared." His students followed suit.

Once they reached the door, they opened it taking cover on the walls beside it. Byleth moved first, he stepped over and found himself facing a circular set of stairs.

They climbed up the seemingly unending flight of stairs to the top. _Sothis, can you scout ahead?_ He asked his companion. _And leave you alone?_ She asked incredulously. _I will be fine._ He reassured her.

_This goes against all of my instincts._ Sothis said, but materialized a beside him. She gave him a reproachful look before gliding off above them.

He took the lead and advanced until the end of the stairs and into a hallway. Sothis returned a few moments later. _They are holed up in a room above us. These stairs lead to the top room._ She informed. _There are a few foes along the way, but they are concentrated on the top._

_It will be difficult to advance on that part because they have made holes in the walls for archers to attack from the room above._ She said. _Damn…_ He thought.

The group turned around the corner, when suddenly shouts were heard on the rear. Byleth spun around to see what was happening. Gilbert and his group of Knights were fighting some bandits that had tried to ambush them.

They were no threat to the seasoned Knights of Seiros, but they had fulfilled their purpose; to distract them from the real attack.

Byleth had nearly enough time to dodge and pull the nearest of his students down with him A few arrows embedded into the wall behind them.

"Shamir, Bernadetta! Take care of those archers." He was still crouching on top of the student while barking orders. "Hubert, Dorothea help them!"

"I would if you'll let me stand, Professor." Dorothea said from below him. "Not that I find this position _uncomfortable_ at all." She said while winking at him.

"Focus, Dorothea." He shook his head while standing up. "Oh, I am focused now." Dorothea retorted with a smirk. He helped her up, but she used the momentum to 'accidentally' bump into him. He sighed and shook his head at his student's antics.

"Edelgard, Petra to me. Ferdinand, Caspar and Lysithea guard the sides." Both girls were already taking position beside him.

"Shamir, Bernadetta, Hubert and Dorothea! Be on the lookout for more sneak attacks from above!" He moved forward sword in hand.

A few bandits had advanced to meet them head on. Most of them were not armored at all, but a few of them were. Byleth supposed that they were Miklan's elite soldiers.

He took the middle and charged at the first bandit he found. The guy managed to parry his first strike. But it let him wide open to follow up attacks. Byleth finished him up, already moving to the next opponent.

He allowed himself to look at how his students were faring. Ferdinand and Caspar were guarding their flanks nicely while Edelgard and Petra tried their best to advance at his pace. The archers and mages on the platform were being routed by Shamir and Bernadetta, with help of the magic users.

Byleth did not see how Gilbert and his knights were faring. He supposed that the bandits on the rear were numerous and that they needed time to defeat them.

They defeated the first wave of bandits. Byleth motioned them to regroup into formation. By that time, Gilbert and his Knights appeared around the corner seemingly unharmed.

Just as the group was turning around the next corner of the second hallway a few bandits ambushed them from a hidden door behind some pillars. Luckily, Ferdinand and Caspar were quick to react, defending Lindhardt, who was on the rear. Hubert and Lysithea helped dispatch the opponents with their magic spells.

In the front were about fifteen bandits waiting for them. Some of them with heavy metal armor. Byleth switched his sword and used for the first time the Sword of the Creator. With a flick of his wrist the word expanded into a deadly whip, killing one of the heavy armored opponents.

The rest of the students were quick to follow, advancing at great speed to deal with the enemy. The battle was intense, and there were a few minor injuries. Petra was grazed by an arrow on her thigh, Lysithea barely avoided a mayor injury or worse thanks to Edelgard's quick actions.

The future emperor was a force to be reckon with. She kept pace with Byleth almost effortlessly. He noted that she improved the usage of her axe and left little to no openings for counterattacks. Her movements were elegant, and she moved as if dancing.

Byleth could have stared at her movements forever, but in that moment, he was preoccupied slashing his sword through an opponent. He retracted his sword in time to parry an axe out of the way and kick his opponent to the ground. Before he even had time to regain his balance Ferdinand's spear had killed the opponent that he had just overthrown.

He was impressed how much all his students had improved in the last few weeks. He had not been training them as often as he would have liked to, but it seemed that Professor Jeritza was doing a wonderful job.

The stream of opponents was seemingly unending. By the time they were done Byleth could see the exhaustion in his student's eyes. Most of them were out of breath.

"Use your vulneraries and concoctions to regain energy." Byleth instructed taking a sip of his own potion. "I have a feeling we are not done yet." He added.

The students did as told momentarily regaining their energy. They continued the path reaching a last flight of stairs. There were no more opponents waiting for them there.

"They have nowhere left to flee, so the situation is in our favor. All we have to do is chase then down." Edelgard said.

"Why have you come, you fools?" A booming voice was heard from the entrance to the platform. "That must be Miklan, Sylvain's brother." Ferdinand said.

"We are here for the Relic you stole, Miklan." Byleth answered coolly. "Hand it over." He added. "I will not give the Lance of Ruin to the likes of you." Miklan answered angrily.

"If it weren't for you Crest-bearing fools, my path would have been another one!" He shouted. Byleth took a moment to look at Sylvain's brother.

He was a tall man and like Sylvain, he was a red head. He looked about ten years older than his brother. He had a nasty looking scar across his face. And his features were hardened by anger. His body was protected by heavy armor.

"So, you think you can take the lance from me, huh? I'll kill you... I'll kill every last one of you!" He charged at the group; his remaining bandits followed suit.

Edelgard and Byleth were at the front, they waited for Miklan to approach them. At the last possible moment, they moved in unison, avoiding an expertly executed lance professor counterattacked giving Edelgard an opening to land a good hit.

But Miklan was a seasoned fighter, he managed to block her attack and then push her back. He swung the lance around to attack Byleth. However, the professor was ready. He ducked to the side sending a kick to Miklan's supporting leg.

The kick connected sending Miklan to the ground, Edelgard used her chance to swing her axe. Her blow landed squarely into Miklan's armored chest cracking it. Miklan got up retreating.

The storm was raging outside, a thunder struck nearby lightning the room in an eerie way. "Not bad for your kind... A bunch of spoiled rotten children." Miklan said breathless still carrying the lance in his hands. Byleth noted that his face looked darker than a few minutes ago. _It is consuming him_ already. Sothis gasped in realization.

_Consuming him? The lance?_ Byleth thought incredulously. But before he could say or do anything the Lance of Ruin's Crest Stone began to glow with a red light. A black and red substance emerged rapidly from the stone.

It began engulfing Miklan's hand. He cried out and looked down to see the substance beginning to encircle his arm. "What the hell?!" He shouted panicking. He tried to push the substance away, but it quickly consumed his arms and body.

Byleth was unable to peel his eyes away. Still he had a sense of foreboding coming from Sothis. _Do not leave me._ He pleaded with her. _I will try not to._ She responded. _Your little ones need to get out of harm's way fast._

Miklan screamed and struggles as the rest of his bandits watch. The Crest Stone began pulsing. The substance was starting to claim its price, even entering his body through his eyes, mouth, and nose. "Damn! Look at that... I'm outta here!" One of the bandits said, already running to the blocked entrance. "Hold on!" Another bandit followed.

Miklan's body was completely engulfed in the black and red mass. It starts to grow uncontrollably until the mass solidified. The creature in front of them was no longer human.

It resembled an overgrown black lizard with dangerous looking spikes coming out of its spine. It had some sort of platted armor on its head and back. Eerie red eyes looked back at them.

_A black beast!_ Sothis said in horror. Byleth watched as one of the bandits fell backwards the beast advances a few steps. The ground underneath them was shaking with its weight.

"No! Please!" The poor bandit pleaded with its former master. But his once leader did not exist anymore. The Black Beast grabbed the bandit with a heavily clawed hand. The action killed the bandit immediately. The beast threw the dead body aside and rampaged towards the entrance while roaring eerily.

"Graaaargh!" The beast howled while it was nearing his scattered students. _Oh my. Is this your first time fighting such a thing? Then listen well to what I say._ Sothis warned him.

In quick succession, Sothis conveyed her knowledge through her feelings.

_You cannot win unless you fell them twice or even thrice!_ She started. _Can you see that barrier? It is surrounded by great power. You must break through to fight that thing. A strong attack might help to break through more quickly._ She continued.

Byleth was able to see an image of an older Sothis clad in golden armor fighting a similar beast in the past. The memory was fleeting and was gone as quickly as it came. _If you can break the barrier, that power will have nowhere else to go, and that will likely cause confusions for that thing. It cannot counter while confused, which means that is the best time to attack!_

_If you break down all its barriers, not only will it be confused, they will not be able to move for a short while. Without the power flowing around them, it will not be able to restore its barriers._ There was an image of a golden sword going through a semitransparent yellow barrier. And the roar of a confused beast as it was killed by the same force.

_How'd you learn all this anyway?_ Byleth asked her confused at the foreign images. _You should be conquering that thing instead of talking to me! If you are out of questions, get over there and fight!_ She was right, he needed to focus.

The beast was still approaching. Its glowing red eyes were focused on the sword at his hand. _It is searching the power of the Sword of the Creator._ Byleth thought. _Maybe it wants to absorb its power._ Sothis wondered.

"Such is the fate of one whose life is corrupted by a Crest Stone..." He heard Edelgard say at his side. He looked at her for a moment. She sounded angry but looked sad. "How pitiable. The least we can do is put an end to his suffering."

"We need to break the barriers!" Byleth shouted for his students to hear. "Try to get your best hit against one of them!" He was nervous. Although he trusted that his students were powerful enough to fight the beast, he was not sure if they would come out unharmed. _Sothis, be ready, please._ He pleaded in his mind.

"Lindhardt, Dorothea! You have healer's duty." He shouted again. "Stay back." The students moved to the entrance of the room. "Gilbert, can you and your knights take the left flank?"

"Yes!" Gilbert said, already moving as told. "Shamir, Bernadetta use your combat arts to get a hit to the eyes!" Byleth continued barking orders. "Stay back and cover the healers if needed!" He heard an "Can we go home now…?" from Bernadetta but ignored it.

"Caspar, Petra and Ferdinand! You will take the frontal attack! Do not hold back!" He said eyeing Caspar. The student grinned like a fool, already flexing his muscles ready to fight the beast.

"Hubert, Lysithea!" The professor continued. "Use your most powerful spells to break the barriers. Once broken aim for the eyes." Lysithea had a determined look about her, while Hubert sneered at him.

"Edelgard, you and I are going to take the right flank." He said calmly, no need to shout, she was already beside him. "Attack!" Byleth shouted. He moved forward, his sword in both hands. He reached for the dormant power of the Sword of the Creator and mustered it as much as he possibly could.

In unison Gilbert and his knights, his students at the front, Edelgard and himself landed each a powerful blow on each of the barriers. Most of them shattered, and those that did not, were attacked by powerful magic spells that finished the job.

The beast howled confused, just as Sothis had predicted. It was moving uncontrollably as if in pain. He saw arrows and spells flying in the general direction of its head.

It moved sending its powerful tail in Edelgard's and his direction. Byleth grabbed his student pulling her down to avoid the hit. They fell to the ground, feeling the gust of wind as the tail passed by harmlessly.

The beast was thrashing about, it was being attacked from all sides. Byleth got to his feet and flicked his wrist to unleash the Sword of the Creator. The whip like sword wrapped itself around the tip of the tail. He yanked back to keep the tail from flaying around and harming his students.

He had underestimated the force of the beast. It yanked right back and nearly sent the professor flying. But Edelgard grabbed a hold of his waist pulling him down to his feet. Byleth tried to retract the sword from the tail but it was stuck.

The beast kept struggling and in an incredible surge of desperate brute force it whipped its tail releasing the sword that retracted quickly, but not before it sent Byleth and Edelgard flying through the air.

_Sothis!_ He called his mind companion. He spun around midair so that he would take the force of the landing, as Edelgard was holding on for dear life. _Sothis?!_ They were about to crash into the wall.

_Oh no…_ _SOTHIS!_ He tried one last time, but it was too late. He curved his body and put his arms in an 'X' to protect his head. He could only hope that Edelgard did the same.

Byleth felt the full force of the blow. He heard a cracking sound and the immediate pain on his left wrist. The old unstable wall gave out completely merely slowing them both down a bit before they started falling towards the rapids below the tower.

He observed in horror how the whole tower started collapsing.

_Damn!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.
> 
> If you enjoyed, please don't be a stranger and leave a review.
> 
> Take care & until next time.


	7. White Clouds - Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 6)**

The water was cold. No, the water was freezing. Byleth was not sure what sucked the air out of his lungs; the impact as he fell into it or its coldness.

The water was relentless. It had yanked him around enough that he did not know where up or down was anymore. He was not able to see anything. All he was able to register with his eyes was a blur of red, white, gray, and blue tones.

He needed to do something. Not for him, but for the future emperor in his arms. During the fall he had miraculously been able to sheath his sword and grab Edelgard by her waist pulling her close to him. He even managed to rotate their bodies to avoid lethal damage.

Edelgard's eyes were always calm and calculating, to see any other emotion in them was rare. To witness the panic and the desperation in her eyes as they were falling… It was something he was never going to forget; and it disturbed him greatly.

Byleth was out of his depths, he had never been in this kind of situation. Firstly, he needed to find the way to force some air into their lungs. Secondly, he needed to get out of this freezing water. _One step before the next, just like Petra would say. I hope they are alright_.

He pulled their bodies upwards, or at least he hoped so. The water current fought him for every inch. If felt like an eternity, but he managed to raise his head out of the water and gasp loudly for air, followed by a fit of coughing. A fraction of a second later he heard the princess gasp for air.

Without a warning, the current sucked them both again into the depths of the river. Byleth nearly lost his grip of Edelgard's waist. He used all his force to get out of the water again, gasping again for ice cold air.

This time he released one of his arms from his student's waist, to search something to hold on to. Byleth had not noticed before that Edelgard had also embraced him for dear life. She too was coughing and gasping for air.

They were sucked once more to the depths of the river. The current was still strong, but it had calmed down enough for Byleth to pull them upwards for a third time. He tried once more to reach for something to hold on to.

This time he found something. _A log?_ He did not care; anything would be fine if it meant that they were not going to be pulled down again by the current. Edelgard still held on to him. She made no notion to detach herself from him.

He had time to assess their current situation and location. The river was wide on this part and the current was still strong, there were large rocks on each side of the river. It would be impossible to push them to them and afterwards climb them up.

The sound of the river was still thunderous. But there was an even louder sound approaching fast. He looked around for a way out of the cold water, feeling the current increase its speed once again. He could not see the river ahead of them. There were only splashes of white water. _OH NO…_

"EDELGARD! BRACE YOURSELF!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. She must have heard him because he felt her hold on him increase again. He released his hold of the log and wrapped his arm again around her waist.

A waterfall. They were airborne again. Falling fast into the waters below. This time, the pressure of the water did not allow him to move. The impact was painful. He felt a rib, maybe two break in his ribcage. The pain was so intense that he lost his hold on Edelgard.

They were submerged once again. The current near the waterfall was strong, but as the water carried them away it lost its strength. He kicked his legs upwards, using one arm to help them move faster. The other arm was again securing Edelgard around her waist. As they emerged, he looked around once more.

There was a river shore nearby that he could reach. He decided they did not need to be in cold water anymore. He kicked his legs pushing them both to the shore.

Once his feet could touch the sand, he was relieved. He was sure that he would have drowned if he stayed longer on that river. His muscles and lungs were burning, and he was exhausted.

He advanced a few steps before releasing his hold on Edelgard. She, however, was not releasing him. "W-wha -ttttsss w-wro-ng? He asked shivering. His jaw hurt. His muscles were contracting painfully.

"D-Do-n-t le-t m-me g-go." She managed to respond. "P-pl-ea-se." She pleaded. Her usually stoic face was full of panic. He grabbed her waist with one arm, nodding to her. "O-k." She released him partially. She still held on to him with an arm around his waist.

They slowly made their way out of the water. "W-we n-ne-ed t-to g-ge-t w-wa-r-m u-p f-fa-s-t." He tried to inform her. He grabbed some nearby branches and pieces of driftwood. They were all wet, but with a little bit of fire magic they would be able to light them up. Fire magic burned hotter than normal fire.

Edelgard was shivering uncontrollably. Her breath was labored. Regardless she picked up some wood mimicking his actions. "Wha-tt-ss t-the p-pla-n?" She asked.

"F-Fi-re m-ma-gi-c" Byleth answered. He advanced further into the woods near the shore and arranged the picked-up wood into a circle wide enough to sit inside it. He was not sure if it would work out. But he was too tired and way too cold to think of anything else.

Byleth started removing his wet cloak and armor. He placed the discarded pieces on some rocks near the wood that would soon be lit up. "P-pro-fe-ss-or?" Edelgard was looking away.

"N-ne-ed t-o g-ge-t th-em d-dry." He explained. He winced once he tried to take his chest plate off. The pain in his ribcage was bearable but some movements were just too much. He sucked on air stopping. "L-et m-e he-lp." Edelgard offered.

He nodded approaching her. She lifted the piece of armor over his head. He winced once more as he lifted his arms to get the piece off his torso. "Th-an-ks." He said to her looking her in the eyes.

The panic that he had seen in her eyes was mostly gone. Her eyes were calculating again, and he could not help to wonder why he felt such a relief seeing that. "Ne-ed h-hel-p?" He asked her.

She nodded. He unstrapped her chest plate from the sides. Once off, he placed both armor pieces near the prepared wood. With some effort he took the rest of his clothes off, leaving only his underwear on. He sat down in the middle of the circle.

He looked at Edelgard expectantly. She was hesitating. "I-I c-can c-clo-se m-my e-ye-s i-if y-ou l-li-ke." He offered.

They really did not have time for any of this, he knew that time was of the essence in this kind of situation. She nodded at him. He sighed but closed his eyes regardless and waited. He heard wet clothes being placed on the nearby rocks.

He then heard her approach. She sat down between his legs, her back pressing to his bare chest. Byleth would have been blushing if this was another situation. _Focus!_ He thought.

He held out his right shivering hand and called as much energy that he could muster. A small flame manifested in his palm. His eyes were still closed, but he had a pretty good idea where the wood was.

It took a minute or two, but the wood and branches started to burn eventually. On his left side he heard the cracking of burning wood. Edelgard must have followed his lead. He felt the sweet sensation of heat warming his body up. Slowly the heat expanded on the circle they had arranged.

They sat there in silence, while their bodies warmed up. _Sothis?_ He asked, checking if his companion was there. He could feel her presence, but as no answer was received, he sighed mentally. _It happened again. Why? How?_

His injuries started to hurt like hell. His muscles were relaxing. He was not shivering as violently as before. And he was tired, he needed to go to sleep. _No. I need to focus. Do not fall asleep._ "H-how a-re y-you f-faring, E-del-gard?" He asked his student concerned.

"C-al-mer, t-tha-nks t-to y-you." She answered. "T-Tha-ts g-good." He answered. "A-are y-you in-ju-red?" He continued. "D-don't t-thi-nk s-so." She told him. "M-mi-nor c-cuts, ma-y-be." She continued. "Y-you?" He noted the concern in her voice.

"B-bro-ken r-rib a-and l-le-ft w-wri-st. O-the-wi-se, I t-thi-nk I-I'm f-fine." He answered her. "L-let m-me s-see." She said grabbing his left wrist gingerly. He winced at the contact but tried not to move.

"I ne-ed t-to s-et i-it." She said. "O-odd a-an-gle." She said critically. "D-do i-it." He said. He breathed in slowly. He relaxed his muscles and breathed out. He felt her other hand rest on top of his injured wrist.

With a quick movement she flicked it in place. The pain shot through his whole arm and he even felt it at his ribcage. He was used to these kinds of treatments, as he had experienced them back in his mercenary days. _But damn that hurt_.

He let a grunt out and waited motionless for the pain to pass. "W-we ne-ed t-to sp-lin-t i-it la-ter." She said still holding his hand. After a moment she moved his arm to rest on her stomach, putting her own arm protectively on top of it.

"W-Wh-at…?" He tried to ask but was cut off by her. "T-try n-not t-to mo-ve it u-un-til w-we-c-an sp-lin-t i-it." She said. "I w-wi-l ho-ld i-it the-re t-to all-ow b-blo-od f-low." She told him in a tone warning him not to object.

Not that his subconscious would. Her skin was soft but not everywhere. There were little rough scars he could feel them with his fingertips. He noticed that this was true for the area of her skin he was touching with his palm.

He remembered what Sothis had said the morning at the infirmary. He had understood that Edelgard's body was scarred, but the amount of them he felt just under his palm was disturbing. He wanted to ask her about it but opted to stay silent for a while longer, for the moment.

How long they stayed like that, he was not sure. The fire was no longer burning as hot, he could only guess that the woods was consumed to embers. He had stopped shivering a while back but was still very tired.

It did not help that he still had his eyes closed. Why he had not opened them yet, he could not remember clearly. Maybe to give his student in front of him some privacy, or maybe he did it to avoid giving more wood to the fire of his fantasies.

_Whoa! Where did that thought come from? Focus._ It was hard to do so. His mind was slipping fast. "What time is it?" He asked. "Huh? Can you not tell from the position of the sun?" Edelgard responded confused.

"… I could, but my eyes are still closed." He answered sheepishly. "Why are your eyes closed…?" She said incredulously. Then he heard her gasp. "Have you opened you eyes at all?" She sounded annoyed.

He could not help but imagine how she was pinching her nose at that moment. "… No." He simply said feeling dumb. "You are mad, my teacher." She reproached him. "…You were uncomfortable with me looking at you." He explained.

She laughed at his explanation. The sound was so rare that he was genuinely surprised. He committed it to memory. It took her a moment to calm down. "… What's so funny?" He demanded indignantly.

He felt her move. She released his injured hand and moved forward. He instantly missed the feeling and the heat of her back against his chest. "Open your eyes." She said softly. He was confused at her request, so he frowned. "… Are you sure?" He asked her just as softly. "Yes." She answered.

He raised his head and slowly opened his eyes. The light blinded him for a moment, and he blinked a few times to adjust to it. It must have been little past noon. The sun was shining upon the various trees around them.

Once his sight adjusted, he lowered his head. Edelgard was sitting on her knees in front of him. Her hair was a mess but otherwise she seemed fine. He locked his eyes to hers but from the corner of his eye he could see that she had left her underwear on just like he had done.

She sighed. "You are certainly a strange mercenary." She said smiling at him. She extended her arm and nodded at him. He was not sure what to make out of the situation. It was certainly strange. He locked his eyes on her arm.

What he saw shocked him. Her whole arm including her hand was covered in scars. Some of them were thick others were very thin. The number of scars was staggering. He frowned and felt his blood boil.

"Do you remember what I told you the other night? About...my past? None of my siblings had a chance to lead the sort of life they deserved. An ordinary life." She was looking at him intently. "… I do". He answered unable to tear his gaze from her arm.

He raised his uninjured hand and traced his finger just above one thick scar from her bicep to her elbow. She shuddered at his touch; he quickly retracted his hand fearing he had hurt her.

"My siblings and I were... We were imprisoned underground, beneath the palace. The object was to endow our bodies with the power of a Major Crest." She started explaining.

"I have always possessed the Crest of Seiros, inherited through the Hresvelg bloodline. But it was only a Minor Crest, and most of my siblings bore no Crest at all." She continued while looking at him. She had dropped her arm to her side.

"In order to create a peerless emperor to rule Fódlan, they violated our bodies by cutting open our very flesh. Now here I stand, the fruit of that endeavor: Edelgard von Hresvelg!" She chuckled bitterly.

"But that came at too high a price... The others were sacrificed. Ours weren't the only lives devastated by that terrible process." She looked down to the ground. Her voice was starting to break.

"Innocents died as well, without even knowing what they were dying for. And there you have it, the truth of the Hresvelg's Empire." Angry tears fell from her face.

"Who is to blame?" He said angrily his voice raw. It sounded almost like a growl. Once she heard him, she looked up almost in surprise. He reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek but remembered how she had reacted earlier to his touch to her arm, so he retracted his hand.

"The prime minister and his gaggle of nobles." _Ferdinand's father?! Could he be so heartless?!_

"They had the Empire under their thumbs. My father, the emperor, tried to stop them, but...it was futile. My father was nothing but a puppet on a string by then. He was powerless to save us." _A powerless emperor and father. It must have been horrible for him to learn what was done to his offspring._

She must have heard his thoughts because the next statement had perfect timing. "I know how it all sounds. But when you see my true strength, you will know I speak the truth. I have kept it hidden all this time, but..." She raised her arm once again, extending her palm to him.

"I will reveal to you the power of my second Crest." He looked down to her hand. A familiar Crest materialized.

"It is the same as yours...the Crest of Flames." But hers was static, it did not pulsate like his had. "When it manifested for me, I swore a silent oath. For the sake of my family and for all the poor souls whose lives were traded for my existence..." She was angry and she frowned.

"For their sake, I will build a world where such meaningless sacrifice is never again sanctioned. As emperor, I will change the world. I swear it." She sounded resolute. _She will be a great emperor._ He thought.

"Will you stand by me?" Edelgard's question disconcerted him. "Yes. As long as you need me." He answered immediately. It surprised him, but the more he thought about it, the more he found his statement to be true.

He raised his right hand and manifested his own Crest. The moment it appeared, beside Edelgard's both Crests started moving like real purple flames. They were reacting to each other.

The pull he felt to Edelgard was as strong as it never had been. Once he looked ovet to her, she was a lot closer than he remembered. Had she moved closer, or had he? He was now sitting on his knees like she was a few moments ago. He had not realized it before.

The Crests were calling each other, and their bearers were frozen in place. Byleth decided to break the silence before he lost himself in those beautiful purple eyes. "Do you feel it?" He whispered.

"I do." Edelgard answered just as softly. He closed his palm, in an attempt to control himself from doing something rash.

"Was this your theory?" He asked her. She nodded still holding his gaze. "We were fated to meet. I think that our Crest were always searching for each other." She said. "Fate?" Was fate also responsible for Sothis' sudden disappearance?

"… Is this all there is to it? To… us?" He asked pained. Why did he feel so rejected? Could it be that the root of his feelings for her were just the attraction of the Crests?

"… Us?" She asked surprised. "Is fate or are our Crests the only things that attract us?" He asked her, lowering his gaze to the ground. He was not sure why he was so ashamed of the question or why he was avoiding her gaze completely.

The only thing he knew at that moment was that he did want to hear her answer. And yet he dreaded it. He had never felt anything like this before. He was called the Ashen Demon for a reason. His reputation would crumble because he had fallen in love with her.

Yet he did not care about his reputation or if the Ashen Demon existed or not. He had never felt anything before. During his time as a mercenary he was on autopilot, never feeling anything or caring for anything.

Once he met her, he felt free for the first time. Free to feel, to laugh, free to be annoyed and free to love. He raised his head once more, ready to meet whatever reaction Edelgard would give him.

"No… I don't think it is." She said to him, giving him a small smile. "Huh?" He blinked. "You piked my interest back then, when you saved us from those bandits." She continued. "But that interest evolved." She continued carefully. _Evolved?_ He felt hopeful.

"That is something I can relate to." He agreed. "If you do not mind me asking, why did I pike your interest?" Byleth was curious and could not stop himself to ask her.

"Honestly? It was the pull I felt to you." She said sighing. "It was a new sensation I could not put my finger on." She explained. "I do not think that anyone could relate to it either. It would be best to keep this between us." She continued. "Ah… So that is why you are always scrutinizing and analyzing me." He answered finally understanding.

"I should have known. Nothing gets past you." She shook her head smiling. He pushed himself off the ground and walked slowly to where his clothes and armor were. He checked if they were dry. _Still damp. Damn._

She was also checking her clothes. She sighed. "Also damp?" He asked her turning to look at her. She nodded. "It is less than ideal, but we need to look something to eat and a shelter for the night." He said to her putting the damp clothes on.

"Shelter for the night?" She said raising an eyebrow. "How far did the river take us?" She asked. "Hard to say. Most of it was rapids afterwards that waterfall over there." He signaled in the general direction where the waterfall should be. It was not visible from the spot they were standing on, but the sound was thunderous. "I'd wager a day and a half walk back to the camp." He said calculating in his head.

He heard her gasp. He quickly turned around, dagger in hand ready to protect her. She was holding a hand to her mouth. "Professor… The last thing I saw before hitting the water was the tower crumbling down. Do you think…?" She seemed concerned. "I hope they are Ok." He said trying to sound confident. Truth was that he was also very concerned.

"They were on the top floor, maybe they survived with minor injuries." He tried to use logic, to calm both of their minds. "That is why we need to make our way to them as soon as possible." He said.

He tried to put his chest plate on. But he had forgotten about his broken rib. He winced at the pain he felt. "Let me help you." She said grabbing the chest plate from his hands. He nodded. He put his arms inside of it and let her slide it on. "Thanks." He said to her, noticing how close they were again.

For the second time in minutes, his pulse quickened. He was sure that if he had a beating heart, it would had sprung out of his chest. The first time he had been able to avoid doing anything stupid with chatter. But at that moment, words avoided him completely.

He locked his eyes to hers. He raised his injured left hand to her forehead to move a lock of stray hair behind her ear and rested his hand on her neck. This time she did not flinch from his touch. Edelgard rested her own hand on his.

Before he could blink, he felt something cold and soft on his lips. The kiss, if you could call it that, was hesitant and barely a touch. It took him a split second to register that she had brushed her lips with his.

She was about to separate from him blushing and embarrassed. He moved on reflex and recaptured her lips by pulling his injured hand on her neck lightly. He felt her arm wrap itself around his neck and kiss back. His free arm pulled her closer by her waist.

Soon, both of them needed to breathe. Byleth pulled out and placed his forehead on hers. "My teacher…" She sighed. "Call me Byleth." He offered.

"I don't think I can yet." She said sadly. "…I see." He answered and started releasing her from his grip. "I would nothing more than to call you by your name." She said stopping him. "But you are still my teacher." She sighed.

"I have developed feelings for you. Feelings that were not in my plans." Edelgard's voice was conflicted. "… Plans?" He asked her confused. "I cannot tell you about them yet." She shook her head against his forehead. "I will, but I have to set some gears in motion."

"So, after all you do not trust completely." He said hurt. He released her stepping back. His mind was racing, his gut was hurting…

"Professor…" She approached him. "I _do_ trust you. Otherwise why did I tell you about my past?" She argued softly. "I would like nothing more to tell you everything. All I ask is for a bit more time to prepare." She was pleading.

"Edelgard…" He sighed closing his eyes. "Prepare away… I will give you all the time you need." He finally said. "But do not ask me to distance myself from you." He told her. "Not after that kiss." He was looking at her deep into her eyes. "I would never ask you such thing. Not anymore anyways." She said hugging him.

"I think I love you, Edelgard." He said and heard her gasp. "I love you too." She said smiling before their lips reunited again.

* * *

They walked into the woods up-river in relative silence. After their confession it took them a few moments to remember where they where and where they had to go.

Edelgard had lost her axe back in the tower, but se had a dagger strapped securely to her waist. Byleth had the Sword of the Creator and a dagger. It was not much, and it would make hunting or fishing difficult, but he would teach her how to set a trap, like his father had taught him.

It was getting dark, and they needed to find shelter. Byleth was hoping that they would find a cave on the foot of the waterfall. But luck would have it another way. They did not find a cave, but they found an wooden shack.

The shack was old, its wood was almost completely rotten. It had a door, that was closed and a window with broken glass. It was small, maybe it was a tool shack from the old gold fever days in the Kingdom. The roof did not seem to have holes on it, which was fortunate. There were logs of wood neatly piled up on the far side of it.

Byleth motioned Edelgard to be ready with her dagger, they needed to approach carefully. She nodded understanding his order.

Once they reached its porch, Byleth tested its resistance. The wood cracked dangerously but did not break under his weight. He reached a hand to the doorknob and turned it. It was not locked. He slowly opened the door, his sword ready to strike anything down.

He stepped in. The shack was long ago abandoned. There was an old iron oven there. It looked like some bird had nested on it on the spring. There was a shelf with probably rotten books and a straw bed.

He moved carefully; he saw something scurry past him squeaking. Edelgard jumped noisily letting out a girlish squeak. He felt her grab his cloak from behind shielding herself from the scurrying rat.

He turned back to look at her, an eyebrow raised. "I… I-I don't like rats." She said sheepishly. "...Really?" He asked in disbelief. "The mighty Edelgard von Hresvelg, future emperor of Adrestia, afraid of rats?" He asked sarcastically sheathing his sword.

"I do not appreciate your mockery." She said indignantly. It was a cute side of her. "Rats were for a long time the only companions I had during my confinement." She said to him turning away. "It is natural that I developed a sort of phobia against them." She continued explaining. "Especially after they bit me multiple times while I was... not able to move." She said hugging herself.

Byleth approached her and hugged her. "I didn't know. I am sorry." He said. She turned to him face him. "Just... Do not joke about it, please." She said to him. He nodded. "So… What do you think of this shelter?" He asked her changing the subject.

"It will do. It is filthy and _infested_. But It will keep us dry and warm for the night." She said analyzing the room. "Well, I will see if I can get that to work." He motioned to the oven. After a few minutes cleaning it, he grabbed a few logs from outside and threw them in.

With a little fire magic, he got it to work nicely. In the meantime, Edelgard had looked over the old books. "Anything good among them?" Byleth asked her. "No, they are all romance novels from an author from the empire." She said.

"…Hm." He responded. "Come on, we will need to go find something to eat before its dark." He said. She nodded following him. "What are we hunting?" She asked. "Not hunting, fishing." He said cheerfully.

He missed fishing with his father. It was one hobby he had not had time for in the last few months. Besides, fishing in the pond of the monastery felt odd. As if the fish were placed there artificially just to be caught by the students and knights.

Byleth had found some long sticks and some rope in the shack. He would use it to attach their daggers to the sticks. "Maybe we can catch one or two carps. We can cook them to take them with us for the trip tomorrow." He said.

Edelgard looked hesitant, not wanting to go near the water again. "Is something wrong?" He asked her. "If you would not mind, I would prefer to stay out of the water." Edelgard said to him. He raised an eyebrow but nodded.

Byleth found a spot where he could use his makeshift fishing lance. He stood there motionless. Once he saw a fish, he waited patiently for it to be in range. He launched his lance hoping it would not fall apart.

It didn't, the fish was stabbed by his dagger. He took it and after smashing its head, he tossed it to Edelgard. "Gut it." He told her. She nodded unsheathing her own dagger. He was surprised that she would know how to gut a fish.

After about an hour, he had managed to capture four fish, two large ones and two little ones. It was dusk, and they needed to go back to their shelter. Byleth examined her work. It was messy, but she had managed.

Edelgard approached the river carefully to wash her hands. Once her hands were clean, she was quick to retreat to his side.

On their short way back, he was on the lookout for some large leaves. Once he found them, he used his dagger to cut some of them down.

The shack was warm, it was a relief to be out of the cold air from outside. Byleth checked the oven. The wood inside was nothing but mere embers. If they wanted a warm night and cook their meal, he needed to grab some logs from outside.

"Can you lay the fish near the oven? It will take about an hour until we can eat them." He asked Edelgard. _Something is wrong with her. She was too quiet ever since we left the shack._

He stepped outside, making sure that he closed the door to prevent their precious heat to get out. He walked around deep in thought. _Sothis? I need your guidance._ Silence. _This is the longest she has been gone._ He was getting worried.

He stepped inside again. Edelgard had already placed the fish on sticks near the oven and was wearingly inspecting the straw bed. Byleth knelt in front of the oven opening its lead and tossing a few logs into it before closing it again.

He placed the rest of the logs beside the oven and checked the fish. It was still raw, so they would have to wait a bit longer. He scanned the room. He saw a rotten chair on one corner. "Would you mind looking at the bed, please?" Edelgard asked him.

"Something wrong?" He asked her. "Just want to make sure that the bed is not a rat's nest." She said sheepishly. "Ah… I see." He moved closer to her. He kicked the bed with his foot and listened intently.

"Clear." Byleth said smiling at her. "That is all?" She asked incredulously. "You expected more?" He asked smirking. Edelgard was fuming. "Alright, alright…" He raised his hands in defeat. He lifted the bed with his good hand. He looked under it and found nothing.

"Nothing here." He said. She was still looking at the bed wearingly. Byleth shook his head and sighed. With a swift motion he dropped to the bed. Dust flew everywhere and it smelled badly, but he had had worse in the past. A memory of sleeping in mud came to mind.

The bed resisted his weight and was surprisingly comfortable. Well anything would be comfortable at that moment. He was so tired he could sleep anywhere. "See?" He made a notion to stand up again but was stopped by Edelgard sitting down on the side of the bed.

"Thanks, I guess." She sounded frustrated. "What?" He raised to sit beside her. She scoffed once she saw that he had used his injured hand to support his weight.

She got up and grabbed some small planks that were lying around. She grabbed a piece of wet rope that was used for the makeshift fishing spear. She used her dagger to make four small incisions on the sides of the boards.

"Give me your hand." She commanded. Byleth raised an eyebrow but raised his hand in her direction regardless. Edelgard sat down beside him again. She took his hand gingerly in hers and proceeded to put one plank just below his fingers.

She supported the plank long enough to put the other one above his hand. She proceeded to wrap the wet rope around the incisions she had made. It was a tight fit, he had to stop himself from grimacing any discomfort he felt.

Once done he inspected her work. "It will hold long enough to get real medical treatment." She said. "Or so I hope." She added. "Anyways, it is the best we can do in this situation." Edelgard said almost justifying herself.

"Thank you." He said to her nodding. "Here, you can have the bed." He said standing up and approaching the oven to check on the fish. One side was cooked so he turned them around so that the other side would also be cooked. "Where will you sleep?" She asked him.

"If that rotten chair supports my weight, I will try to sleep there." He said sincerely. "And if it doesn't?" She pinched her nose with her fingers. "Then I'll sleep on the floor." He answered shrugging.

"You really are one strange mercenary." She said smiling. "…Huh?" he asked while grabbing the chair. It almost crumbled under his touch and would definitely not support any kind of weight. _The floor it is then_. "I keep hearing that. Care to elaborate?" He asked.

"No… You will get ideas." She said shrugging and smiling at him. "… Hm. For your information, I have _ideas_. I just happen to not act upon them because I respect you too much." He said earning a laugh from her. It was a wonderful sound.

"Very strange indeed." She said smirking. "What? Do you prefer me to stalk you and have my way with you?" He said without thinking. _This is dangerous territory, need to steer the conversation another way._

But regardless of all the red flags his mind had raised by his own comment, Edelgard's reaction was to laugh again. "You would not do that. Besides, who said I would let you?" She smirked again.

"Confident, are we?" He said smiling. He approached her and stopped only to kneel in front of her. His face just a few inches from hers. "You sure you want to challenge me?" He said raising a finger to trace her jawline. Edelgard shuddered under his touch.

"If you play with fire, you will get burnt." She said. "Is that a threat or a promise?" he asked before kissing her again. He wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her closer. She responded to his kiss by pulling him closer to her by wrapping her arms around his neck. This time the kiss was passionate.

He lost himself in that kiss, he did not know where she began, and where he ended. The kiss felt right. No, being with her like this felt right. It was as if he finally could be free of an unknown confinement of his own. But he still did not want to push her into anything. So, he slowly pulled out of the kiss.

He rested his forehead against her once again. He was breathing heavily. "I could get used to this kind of burns." He said smirking. She shook her head against his forehead. "You are impossible." Edelgard sighed, still not releasing him.

He chuckled. "I have heard that before." He said smiling. "Oh… Any lady friend I should be aware of?" She asked smoothly. "I did not pinpoint you to be the jealous type." He said just as smoothly.

He released her waist and made a move to check on the fish. But she did not release him. "Avoiding my question much?" She demanded. He chuckled again. "Well, taking note that I have been constantly monitored by your loyal servant, you should know that there aren't any lady friends in my life." He said.

"Hubert has been spying on you?" She asked in disbelief. "Huh. And I thought that you were the one that gave the order." He said surprised. "But yes, he has been following me for a long time. Lady Rhea is also keeping a close watch on me." He responded.

"Lady Rhea keeps watch over you?" She asked again in disbelief. "Yes. She has taken an interest on my person." He said not wanting to tell her everything. "And I believe it has a reason. I just haven't been able to find it yet."

"I see. It will be difficult then to keep this a secret then." She said motioning the lack of space between them. "That is true." He responded. "But I always manage to give them the slip." He smirked. "It is amusing to see Hubert that frustrated every once in a while."

She laughed. "I can imagine it might be very amusing." She responded. "I could try to call Hubert off, but I am not very sure that he will follow that particular order." Edelgard was pensive. "As for the Church spies…" She trailed off. "I will take care of them." He said confidently. "Still there is the question, do you want to risk us being discovered at the monastery?" He asked honestly.

"The last thing I want or _need_ right now is for you to be released of your duty because of insubordination." She said scowling. "This means that we will have to be patient until we can be truly alone." She sighed sadly. "We will find time. In the meantime, I'll just invite you to tea parties." Byleth said. "That way we may be able to just talk."

"For the moment that must suffice." She said sighing. "I think we will have to sneak out on one of out missions in order to be alone." She said mischievously. "Hm… Sounds dangerous. Count me in." He said giving her a small kiss.

"I need to check on our food." He released her. "Do you have to?" She asked holding him in place. "Are you not hungry?" He answered chuckling. "…Yes." She released him.

He just shrugged smiling at her antics and moved to check the fish. It was perfect to eat. He grabbed the leaves that he had gathered earlier in the evening. They would help him wrap the dish for tomorrow and serve as dishes. He placed all the fish on one of the leaves and handed it to Edelgard.

She accepted it and started eating. Byleth heard her sigh. "It could use some salt or pepper." She lamented. "Huh. I had forgotten that you are a noble. You are used to fancy food being served." He said thinking. "I am sorry I cannot serve you fancy food like in the monastery right now, but I can prepare you something when we are back." He said almost defeated. "I am an excellent cook."

"That is not… I do not mind… It's just different." She tried but apparently the words evaded her. "Is this what you used to eat while you where a mercenary?" She asked him trying to steer the conversation another way.

"Yes, usually my father and I managed to catch enough fish for the whole troop." He nodded. "We used to travel light, so salt or pepper where usually not in our travel bags." He remembered. "You can imagine how it was once we found a tavern on our way." He smiled sadly.

"Some taverns do have good food. I remember a tavern in the Kingdom who would make the best stew I have ever had." She remembered. "What was its name?" She was thinking. "It had something to do with a flower." She scowled as she tried to remember. It was adorable.

"The only tavern I know in the Kingdom with a 'floral' name is 'The wet Rose Tavern'" He offered. "That's it! You know it?" Se exclaimed excitedly. "Yes, we were able to land a very good job in that tavern. Brought a lot of gold at the time." He responded.

They ate their fish while Byleth told Edelgard about some of his jobs. Then tiredness hit them with all its force, to which they decided to go to sleep. She settled on the bed, while Byleth insisted on sleeping on the floor.

* * *

He awoke to the sound of screams and tossing. He grabbed his sword and jumped to his feet ready to strike any opponent. But there were none. The screams originated from the sleeping beauty on the bed.

He placed the sword on the ground again and approached her. He sat on the bed and shook her awake.

She had also been ready for any possible attack because once she woke, a dagger was placed on his throat. "Edelgard, its me…" He said softly trying not to move. He made a mental note to never wake her up like this again.

"Professor…" Edelgard said once she realized she was not being attacked. Slowly the dagger at his throat was placed somewhere else. "It's ok. They were just bad dreams." He tried to console her. Her eyes where once again full of panic.

Without a warning Edelgard embraced him. It took him a second to wrap his arms around her, placing his right hand to her head. "Shhhh." Edelgard was sobbing.

"Please do not let me go." Edelgard pleaded with him. "Never." He answered.

It took her a few moments to regain her composure. "Would you accompany me outside for a bit?" She asked him. He nodded. He stood up and offered her a hand. They stepped outside of the shack. It was a lovely dark night. The moon shone where the trees allowed it to.

The stood in the porch hand in hand for a moment. "Thank you." Edelgard said "I just wanted some fresh air. There's a lovely cold breeze tonight." She sighed. "Fresh air helps me clear my head." She continued.

Byleth stood there in silence, waiting for her to be ready to return to the warm shack. He squeezed her hand lightly in response. "Want to tell me what the dreams where about?" He decided to risk it and ask her.

"I… I dreamt of being washed away by that cursed river." She said lowering her head. Byleth stepped closer to her wrapping his arm to her waist. "These dreams happen every once in a while, and I believe that today's events triggered it again."

"I would have prevented it, even if it meant that I would not survive." He said softly. "You can't swim, am I correct?" He asked. She nodded slowly. She seemed ashamed. "Nothing to be ashamed of. That is a skill that can be learned." He said to her, trying to console her.

"Let's get you inside." He said steering her to the shack. Once inside, he went to the oven and dropped a few logs inside of it. She was sitting on the bed again. He moved to sit beside her.

"Edelgard, if you want me to, I can teach you how to swim." He said. "Maybe it would bring some relief to those nightmares you have." He was very hard trying to find the correct words to console her. But that was something he was not accustomed to do, so he was very insecure if it would work. "That would be nice." She said offering him a sad smile.

Byleth smiled back. "Would you stay with me?" She asked softly. "I am with you." He said to her. "I mean here on the bed?" She was blushing. "I do not want to sleep alone." _Do not get ideas!_ Byleth reminded himself.

"If that is what you really want… I will stay here with you." He told her. She was biting her lower lip. "Yes, please." He nodded and proceeded to lay on the bed. His rib was still hurting so he could only lay on his back. He let his arm open as an invitation for her to lay her head on it.

An invitation that she gladly accepted. He felt her lay on it and wrap her arm around his waist. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. It felt nice to have het this close to him. He drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I have to say that this took me longer than expected to write. I hope it was not too much Edelgard/Byleth fluff.
> 
> Secondly, if you find any typos or mistakes, please let me know. I will fix them as soon as possible.
> 
> If you enjoyed, please don't be a stranger and leave a review.
> 
> Until next time.


	8. White Clouds - Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 7)**

It was late in the evening. The sun would set in about an hour or two, and it had taken them the whole day to reach the ruins of the Conand tower. Byleth was breathing hard, his chest hurt with every move he made.

During the short climb of the waterfall, he had slipped on a loose rock. He had been able to catch himself on time, but he had slammed hard against the rock wall with his chest. He was not sure, but his rib had maybe punctured his lung. He needed Lindhardt's or Dorothea's healing powers as soon as possible.

Edelgard had been worried about him ever since he slipped. She had not left his side and insisted on resting often to let him catch his breath. She had offered him her last vulnerary, but he had declined it.

Byleth did not tell Edelgard, that he had an ominous feeling that something was about to happen, and that they would need that vulnerary later. Try as he might, he was not able to shake the feeling off.

He had feverishly wished that Sothis would respond to his call. He needed her company and her guidance. Ever since they fell from the tower, he had not been able to communicate with her. And it added to the list of worries he had.

Byleth reclined on a tree, catching his breath while surveying the pile of debris that was once a tower. The terrain was difficult as a lot of trees had been broken down by big rocks and other materials.

Edelgard had advanced a few paces ahead of him, climbing up to the highest point of the ruins and debris to have a better look at the damage and to try and find her peers. Byleth knew she was worried, and if the speed she had climbing up was any indication of it, she was anxious too.

"What did you see?" He asked her once she came back to his side. "A lot of debris everywhere and no apparent sign that they camped here." She was clearly disappointed. "They returned to the camp near the river then." He said worried.

He made a move to stand up again from the tree he was leaning on, but he winced as pain shot through his side. Immediately after he started coughing uncontrollably. Edelgard was at his side in a second, trying to keep him from falling.

 _Damn._ He had no time to panic, not for his sake but for Edelgard's. His hand had been covering his mouth, and once he moved it, he saw blood on his glove. Edelgard must have seen as he heard her gasp.

"I have gone through worse." He told her. And it was true. He had been stabbed with knives and swords before. But he had never experienced a punctured lung before. His vision was starting to blurry, but he was not about to tell her that. "We need to track them down before it gets too dark." He continued.

Edelgard was eyeing him critically, he saw a mix of emotions in her eyes. Concern, tiredness, anger, and dread. Byleth reached out to take her hand. He squeezed it.

"We need to move. There is a chance that they are still at the campsite we set two days ago…" He said looking at her. She was not convinced. He could see that. But she nodded regardless helping him stand up straight.

They walked carefully around the debris. Byleth was focusing on his breathing and looking at the ground. He was trying to find any tracks that could at least ease his mind that his students could be alive. But it had rained heavily it seemed. All hopes of finding tracks were disappearing fast.

Until he saw something shimmering on the ground. He was going to bend down to grab it, but Edelgard beat him to it. It was a fragment of a broken vulnerary bottle. The shape was consistent with the ones you could buy at the marketplace inside the monastery.

Edelgard and Byleth locked their eyes. Hope was rising. The nodded to each other and started to slowly move, almost revitalized. As they went, they found other fragments of the same broken bottle. Had the beast followed his students to this place?

That question was answered once they reached a burned down part of the forest. The trees were charred, and the ground was black. In the middle of it all there were the remains of a charred body.

Panic rose as they approached. The body was on all fours facing down. A tall man. There was a black slime that had mixed with the coal of the trees on the ground. Edelgard crouched down to see his face. She sighed relieved. "Not any of our companions."

"Then who?" Byleth asked. "Miklan…" She said. He looked around. There were clear signs of battle that he had missed before. Claw marks on the trees, slashes on the ground. _They were able to kill it._ He was relieved somehow. But his concern did not vanish completely.

A twig snapped behind them. He turned around resting his hand on his sword. Edelgard held her dagger in her hand. They waited for a bit. He was starting to see double and felt dizzy. A fit of coughing was threatening to rise and he was desperately trying to suppress it.

For a short while there was no movement, no more snaps were heard. Byleth relaxed a little bit. He turned to Edelgard, lending her shoulder for support. "Let's go." He said wheezing. She looked alarmed but nodded and helped him walk.

They advanced painfully slowly. But with each step, they were closer to their destination. He was determined to arrive at the campsite. His vison was blurry, and every step hurt, he had trouble breathing and his coughing was getting worse.

It was already dark. He felt as if they had walked for ages. He turned his head to the side to cough, but he saw movement. "Professor, look!" He heard Edelgard say. "A bonfire." She said excitedly. _We made it!_ He smiled.

"HELP!" Edelgard shouted on top of her lungs. A few figures stood up and started running their way. A twig snapped again. Byleth turned his head to see where it had come from.

He saw a figure standing at a distance. It could be male or female, his sight was too blurry to distinguish any kind of feature, but he could see a faint glint. "Edelgard…" He wheezed trying to warn her. But she was preoccupied shouting to her peers for help. They were approaching as fast as they could.

The unknown figure fired its nocked arrow. Byleth had barely time to shove Edelgard out of the way and drop to the ground. The arrow embedded itself in a nearby tree. Another arrow followed. It hit Edelgard's leg. She shouted in pain.

Byleth grabbed his dagger and threw it with all the force he could muster. He grunted at the effort but was rewarded as their attacker hit the ground hard. A second later, the last arrow embedded itself deep into his already un-beating heart.

"PROFESSOR!" Edelgard's voice was the last thing he heard before darkness won the battle over his consciousness.

* * *

"Wake up." A childish voice commanded him. "Come now, no time to waste!" The voice was insistent and annoying. "Me? Annoying?! How thoughtless of you." The voice was apparently able to read his thoughts.

"I am done coddling you! Wake up now!" He opened his eyes. He was blinded for a moment and he blinked a few times to get accustomed to the light. His eyes met radiant green ones. "Sothis?" He asked confused.

"Who else could it be?" She was angry at him. He could see and sense it. But he did not care about it. He got up and embraced her. "Hmph!" She protested. "Sothis, I thought you vanished!" He said overjoyed and relieved to have his dear companion back. She pushed him away forcefully. "What on Goodness name are you talking about?" She demanded.

"You were gone again. Like in the Holy Mausoleum." He explained. "What?" She was surprised. "Is that what happened?" She said. "You don't remember?" He asked her concerned. "No. I just woke up a few minutes before I woke you up." She said deep in thought.

"How long was I gone?" She asked almost sounding concerned. "Um… almost two days." He said sheepishly. "You make such a fuss because of two days…?" She said smiling at him. He could feel her contempt. "I really missed you." Byleth answered with the truth.

Sothis was visibly pleased with his answer. "And you should." She said arrogantly. "So, bring me up to speed. What happened in these two days and how did you get here?" She asked walking away from him.

He looked around for the first time he woke up. He was again in that familiar throne room he had dreamt so many times. It was still lit up by some green light. He was standing not so far away from the stairs. He decided to follow Sothis and sit down a few steps lower than her throne.

"We were battling Mikl- the Black Beast. Edelgard and I took the right flank While the Knights and the students took the left flank and the middle." He recalled. It seemed that the fight was months ago. "That much I remember." Sothis said helping him. "Then you know that I was barking orders to fight just as you had instructed me?" He asked and Sothis nodded.

"Well, we all attacked in unison and manage to break its barriers. The beast got confused, just as you predicted." He offered a smile. "But in its confusion, it started wailing its tail at Edelgard and me." He said. He offered he the fuzzy images he remembered to fill gaps.

"I tried to stop the tail from wailing too much." He said. Once Sothis saw how he had tried to immobilize the tail with his sword she scoffed. "That was foolish of you. Even a child would know NOT to do such thing." She was shaking her head in annoyance.

"Yes… In retrospect, that was not a very clever thing to do." He said offering her the images of his short flight through the air and wall. He also showed her how both he and Edelgard fell to the freeing waters of the river below the tower.

"It is amazing that you survived that fall. An even more amazing that you kept your princess from separating from you." She said smirking. Sothis was expecting a rebuttal or a comment trying to deny his attraction to Edelgard. She widened her eyes once none came.

She was about to ask him for details, but he raised his hands. He noticed for the first time that his hand was not splinted anymore and that his chest did not hurt a bit. "We were dragged by the rapids and fell down a waterfall. I… broke a rib or two with the last impact." He explained sheepishly.

"Typical of you. But please continue." She said reproachingly. "I managed to reach the shore of the river. I was relieved but mostly amazed that we had not drowned in it." He continued. "By the looks of _your_ princess, she must have felt sheer panic. Poor thing."

"Once on firm land, we managed to build a fire. I took off my clothes to let them dry. But Edelgard… was hesitant. I closed my eyes." He said quickly because Sothis had raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "You really are a fool…" She said in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Huh?" He asked. "Nothing. Please continue." Sothis said innocently. "OK… I do not know how long we sat there. I only know that I was so exhausted that my mind was slipping fast." He continued eyeing the smile that Sothis was giving him suspiciously.

"I asked what the time could be. To which Edelgard's reaction was of surprise. She told me that I was mad." He said shaking his head. "She… made me open my eyes. She was kneeling in front of me." He offered the images of his memory to Sothis.

"She let me look at her arm. It was maddingly staggering… The number of scars…" He remembered the rage he had felt in that moment. He tried to suppress it. "I do not know how she managed to survive that kind of torture."

"It is OK to feel that way. After all you love her." Sothis said in a smoothing voice. "Yes." He replied looking at Sothis. "Anyways, she told me who was responsible for her torture." He recalled the conversation. Sothis watched it and listened. Byleth looked at her intently. Her reaction was very similar to his. "Those oafs. They will pay sooner or later. But I'd rather have it sooner." She said with poison in her voice.

Byleth was surprised by it, she had never had such a display of hate before. "Remind me to stay on your good graces." He said almost afraid. She scoffed and waved him to continue. "She possesses a second Crest. The Crest of Flames." He said to her.

"What are the odds…?" Sothis mused. "She showed it to me. Do you remember how my Crest was pulsating once it manifested?" He paused and she nodded. "Well, hers was static. But it began pulsating once I called out mine." He recalled the images.

"That is more than interesting. It that why you felt this attracted to her?" Sothis asked herself. He nodded. "That is our theory. But there might be something more. Edelgard believes that we were fated to meet." He continued. "That might be true." Sothis mused again.

"Sothis, could it be that fate is sending you to the sidelines once some key event between Edelgard and myself happens?" He asked not sure if the was making any sense. "That… is an interesting theory." Sothis was rubbing her chin.

"The more I think about it, the more I realize that it is true." Sothis said after a pause. "Fate wants you to have these moments with your princess." She was musing again deep in thought. "But why?" He asked. There was no response.

"Did fate also want for you and me to be bound together?" He asked curious. "That… No." Sothis raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, maybe after something happened… to an extent." She said.

Her eyes were moving fast from one side to the other. As if she was reading something. "Arrgh! This is so frustrating. I cannot remember, feel or read more to this." She exclaimed exasperated, throwing her arms out and slumping into her throne.

"What's wrong, Sothis?" He asked concerned. She eyed him for a moment trying to decide whether to tell him what she was thinking or not. She apparently decided to be honest with him. "I feel that there is a key event that was not fated but forced into us. It inevitably bound us together." She sighed.

"What key event?" He asked curious. If her feeling was correct, the implications were… disturbing. "That is something I cannot see or remember. It is as if I hit a wall that must be torn down to be able to reach the truth." She said frustrated.

"But I have a feeling that that Rhea lady has something to do with that particular event." She said in a whisper. "That woman is not to be trusted, Byleth." She warned him again. "I know. You remind me every time I speak to her." He responded with a sigh.

There was a moment where no one spoke. They were both deep in thought. "What happened next?" Sothis broke the silence. "I… asked Edelgard if fate was the only thing that attracted us to each other…" He said sheepishly. In retrospect it was a sloppy way to ask it to her.

"You did not!" She exclaimed giggling. "Hey… in my defense, my mind was slipping, and I did not think it through." That statement earned another fit of giggles. "When have you ever done that?" She told him. "And then?" She asked sitting on the edge of her throne.

"It might be better to show you." He said remembering the feelings and the images. Sothis sat there absorbing everything. He stopped the memory flow just after he had consoled Edelgard after her nightmare.

"I did not think you would be so bold! To kiss the future emperor of the Empire." She said to him. "For what it is worth, I am proud of you." She said. "Just warn me to disappear when things get hot between you two." She said winking at him.

Byleth coughed into his hand. He felt something sticky in it. He lowered his gaze and found blood on it. "Sothis!" He said alarmed. "What? I know you have been fantasizing about it for a while now." She said mocking him.

"No… Look!" He showed her his bloody hand. He was feeling tired and weak. He could barely hold his weight while sitting on those stairs. Sothis' eyes widened.

She was quick to catch him as he was slumping down on the stairs. "Byleth! Byleth! Can you hear me?" She exclaimed holding his shoulders with her arms. He could hear her, but he was not able to respond. "What is happening?!" She shook him.

Her eyes showed her panic and concern. He opted to share his memories. He could not concentrate, and he could only hope that Sothis was able to make sense of the mess he was delivering. "Oh no…" He heard her say.

Byleth was losing consciousness. He registered another fit of coughing and a warm liquid slowly running down the corner of his mouth. Sothis' hand glowing green on his chest. She was using her power to heal him. He felt warmth where her hand laid.

His coughing stopped but the pain did not. He was having trouble to stay awake. "Stay with me!" Sothis' was muffled. "Byleth! Don't you dare die on me." She exclaimed angrily. His vision was blurry, but he saw that she was shedding tears.

He mustered all his strength to raise his left hand to her cheek. Once he made contact with it, pain shot through his whole arm. She must have felt his pain, as she winced. "Save your strength, you fool." She said to him soothingly. She was holding his hand in place.

He smiled. Or at least he hoped he did. He could not feel any pain anymore and all he wanted was to rest. He closed his eyes. "No! No, no, no. Byleth!" He heard Sothis say before darkness consumed him once again.

* * *

**A/N:**

**So… I honestly thought about leaving the chapter here, BUT:**

**I felt the chapter was too short.**

**This chapter was writing itself, so I did not want to cut my inspiration all of the sudden.**

**Keep enjoying.**

* * *

There was a buzzing sound that annoyed him. It was not letting him rest like he would have liked to. He swore he would kill whoever was making that sound. _Byleth?_ Sothis asked relieved. _You are alright! Thank Goodness it worked._

 _What worked?_ Byleth tried to speak, but he was not able to move. "Any change, Professor?" He heard a soft concerned female voice ask. A familiar voice. "No. He is alive but unresponsive, Lady Rhea" _Lady Rhea?_ Had she made all this way to the Kingdom for him? _No, she would not leave the monastery._

"It's been three days since they brought him here. Five since he got those injuries and infection." A male voice spoke up. A familiar voice. _Father?_ "I know my son. He should already be awake and jumping around." Jeralt said concerned.

 _Yes, Jeralt has not left your side since you arrived. You can smell it too._ Sothis answered him. Byleth tried to chuckle but was not able to. "Still, it is worrisome that his heart is not beating." Manuela sighed. "His heart has never beaten." Jeralt responded curtly and bitterly.

"How has he been able to survive, then?" Manuela demanded incredulously. "Don't ask me. I am no doctor. If you want answers, ask her." Byleth had experienced Jeralt being angry. But this time his voice was different. It was accusing. "Let's not get into that argument again." Another male voice interjected. An arrogant one. Sethet.

Byleth heard a chair being pushed forcefully away and decided steps moving away from him. "He and I deserve answers, Rhea!" Jeralt screamed. "I am fed up with you and your secrets!" Jeralt continued.

"Keep your voice down and show some respect to the Archbishop, mercenary!" Sethet growled his answer. "That is enough! The both of you!" Lady Rhea raised her voice. Byleth could feel a surge of energy in the atmosphere.

"Jeralt, my dear friend." Lady Rhea said in a soft tone. Jeralt scoffed. "I promise, that once your son is awake and recovering well, I will make time to answer all of your questions." She said. It sounded sincere enough. _Nothing about that woman is sincere._ Sothis answered him.

"More lies, Rhea? Just like you told me that Sitri had died from childbirth?" Apparently Jeralt was again at his side. He heard a chair being picked up from the floor and placed beside his bed. The amount of emotions Byleth heard in his father's voice made him want to reach out to him.

He tried to move again. It did not work. _Maybe just open my eyes._ No, that was not working either. _Move a finger?_ Again no. _You should rest._ Sothis said to him.

 _Sothis! Can you see where we are?_ He asked desperately. _No. I can only see what you see. Rest, Byleth._ "He is glowing again!" Manuela exclaimed alarmed and short after there was a commotion of footsteps and noises as people approached him. Byleth was feeling very sleepy once more.

Darkness claimed him once more.

* * *

Byleth awoke to the sound of familiar snoring. He opened his eyes. He was in the infirmary of the monastery. _How did I get here?_ He asked himself. _I was wondering that too._ Sothis answered. _Nice to see you awake. You gave us all quite the scare._ She said relieved. _Sorry._ He responded sheepishly.

Looked to his right. Jeralt was splayed on his chair asleep. Byleth chuckled and tried to sit up. Jeralt woke with a snort. Once he looked up his eyes lit up. "Son! You are awake!" Jeralt was at his side taking Byleth's hand in both of his.

"You scared the shit out of me, you know?" Jeralt said. "No… What happened?" Byleth asked confused. "I should be asking that." Jeralt shook his head. "You came in via Pegasi-express directly to the infirmary with an arrow to your heart and barely breathing."

"Pegasi-express?" Byleth asked trying to imagine it. "Yes, along with your House leader and the other young girl with white hair." Jeralt said. "It was bothersome to get those creatures out of here again." He was rambling. "Edelgard and Lysithea? What happened to them?" He asked alarmed.

"Calm down. They are fine. The younger girl, uh… Lysithea was in a critical state. It turned out she was exhausted because of a 'force field' she made with her magic." Jeralt continued. "She was released from the infirmary four days ago." Jeralt said.

"What about my other students?" Byleth asked anxiously. "They should arrive tomorrow evening if nothing went wrong along the way." His father informed him. "Are they…?" Byleth could not finish the question. "All alive and well." Jeralt smiled. Byleth nodded relieved.

"As for Edelgard… She forcefully dismounted a Knight from its Pegasus and flew here with you both. Her injuries were minor, and she was already treated and fine once she arrived." Jeralt was smirking. "Sounds like something you would do, dad." Byleth answered trying to suppress his laughing. Sothis on the other hand giggled freely.

Jeralt beamed at him. "Yes, it does." He said also laughing. After a moment, they both calmed down. "It is good to see you laugh, son." Jeralt said smiling at him. Byleth nodded at him. "She got an earful from Sethet, though." Byleth winced at the image.

"You know. I think that the princess… Edelgard is in love with you." Jeralt said winking. "She has been here for hours on end after class." Jeralt informed him. "I know." Byleth answered. "Now is your chan-" Jeralt started excitedly but confusion set in soon after. "What?"

"You should see the look on your face." Byleth answered amused. "I said that I know." "You told her." Jeralt's grin was turning goofy. "And she reciprocated!" He added triumphant. "Something like that." Byleth tried to deflect.

"Aww. Come on. Give me the dirty details." His father seemed exited for him. "There are none." Byleth said. _Someone is approaching._ Sothis warned him. "Look it is a secret… Try not to tell anyone." Byleth pleaded. "I am a tomb. But I will need details later." His father winked again. Byleth nodded.

The door opened a second later and Manuela barged in. "I heard laughing." She stopped dead on her tracks once she saw Byleth awake. "Hello Professor." Byleth greeted. "My Goodness. It is a miracle." She exclaimed taking a stethoscope to and approaching his bed.

Without another word, she placed it to his chest, where his heart should be beating. She scoffed. "Not a single beat." She mused to herself. "Told ya." Jeralt crossed his arms. "But you would not listen to this old bone." He shook his head.

"How?" She asked Byleth. _Careful now_. Sothis warned him. "Not a clue, Professor Manuela." Byleth responded. She turned to Jeralt and looked bewildered. They exchanged a meaningful look before Jeralt nodded. "I will have to inform Lady Rhea that you are awake." Manuela said regretfully.

"Afterall, she took care of your healing." She said to Byleth before leaving the room. "Did she now?" The young man asked his father. "Yes. She did not allowed Manuela near you." Jeralt answered looking glum. "When she was done, she was so exhausted that she barely could stand up." He frowned.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Byleth said. "That is why I did not leave your side for one second." His father said proudly. _Do you think it wise to ask about the conversation we overheard?_ Byleth asked his mind companion _. No, we should play our cards carefully._ Her answer was serious. _We may still need that particular one._ She said and he agreed.

"I can smell that." Byleth said. Jeralt chucked loudly. "So… Five or six days?" Byleth asked playing a game he used to play with his father. They would try to guess how long they were unconscious. "Close. Seven days, son" Jeralt said saddening a bit. "Phew… I broke your record." Byleth tried to lighten the mood.

"That you did…. Try not to do it again. It was a lot to my fragile old heart." Jeralt said smiling. "No promises. But I will try." Byleth answered smiling at his father. "Its all I can ask for." Jeralt said.

They stayed in silence for a moment. It was peaceful silence until the door opened again. Lady Rhea almost ran into the room. She had not bothered changing her nightgown or combing her hair.

"Dear Professor." She said dramatically putting a hand to her mouth. "I am glad to see you alive and well." Jeralt scoffed crossing his arms. "May I?" She asked Byleth ignoring his father completely. She motioned to the chair on the left of his bed. Byleth looked at his father but nodded, nonetheless.

Lady Rhea took a seat gracefully. "How long have you been up?" She asked. Byleth heard in her voice that she was testing them both. He had been awake for almost an hour, but he did not want anyone to get in trouble with the ruthless archbishop of the church.

"Hard to say. I wager about fifteen to twenty minutes. Does that sound about right, dad?" Byleth looked at Jeralt warningly. "Yes, give or take." His father answered smoothly. Lady Rhea eyed them suspiciously.

"Tell me, what happened to you?" She demanded. "Lady Rhea, with all due respect, I am sure you have already interrogated my House leader about it. I have just woken up from a serious injury and I would like to spend time with my father tonight." Byleth said as sweetly as possible.

 _You make too much effort to please the woman._ Sothis reproached. _You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar, Sothis._ He answered. "I promise to report to you as soon as I am released from this bed." He reassured the archbishop.

"Of course. How senseless of me! I do apologize. I was just so worried." Lady Rhea was trying to hide her displeasure. She stood up and walked to the door. "It is a miracle of the Goddess that you have returned home safe." She said. "No wonder you were muttering her name through your fevers." She added a glint of light on her eyes.

 _A test again._ Sothis scoffed. _I'll play along_. He said confidently. "The Goddess' name?" He asked innocently. "Yes, dear child. Please be careful not to use it in vain." Lady Rhea said. "Sothis. It is a beautiful name, isn't it? Fit for the Progenitor God." She smiled.

Byleth's blood went cold. He was thankful that his face was naturally emotionless. "… Sothis?" He said asking her companion to react. He could feel the confusion emanating from her. He placed his hand to his chin as if thinking. In truth he was just buying time.

"It is a beautiful name. But I cannot say I had heard it before." Byleth hoped he sounded convincing enough. He was being scrutinized by the archbishop. Every reaction he made, was observed closely.

"Oh… Then the Goddess blessed you in a moment of need." She raised her hands as if prayer. But her eyes never left his. She did not seem disappointed nor happy. _Damn she is a good actress._ _She did not give away anything she felt._ "I wish you both a goodnight." She said before she left the room.

Byleth let a breath out, that he had not realized he had been holding. "That was… weird." Jeralt commented after a few moments. "Yeah… It was disconcerting." His son agreed.

"Is it true?" Byleth asked his father. "Yes, it was all incoherent babbling." Jeralt frowned. "But 'Sothis' and 'Edelgard' were names you were muttering quite often." His father was frowning.

 _So… You are a Goddess?_ Byleth asked his companion. He could feel her confusion. _I… don't remember._ Sothis answered. He sighed and looked outside the window. The sun was rising slowly. "Well if you don't mind, I will go take shower and change clothes." Jeralt said standing up.

"Please do." Byleth smiled at his father. He chuckled in response. "Alright. I will take my cue." He said walking to the door. "Come find me so we can talk later." He said stopping at the door. "Will do, dad." Byleth nodded. Jeralt looked at him for a moment before leaving the room.

 _Talk to me Sothis._ Byleth said concerned. _What exactly am I?_ She asked no one in particular. _Apparently, you are the 'Progenitor God'…_ Byleth offered. _But it that is true… Then what are you?_ Sothis asked him. _Sothis, I am and will always be your friend. Goddess or not._ He said to her truthfully.

 _That is true for me too._ She offered. _It makes sense that I would be a Goddess. Otherwise why would I be able to turn back time?_ She said almost arrogantly. _Yet again, why am I inside of you?_ She asked him again.

 _I have a feeling it has to do with the conversation we overheard._ He said. _It has to do with Rhea._ She growled. _It is so frustrating. I cannot remember anything, yet I feel that the archbishop's statement to be true._ She continued. Byleth nodded.

 _What is going on here._ He said referring to all the secrets and mysteries surrounding him. He was not able to sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

Manuela had just finished her final check on him. "You will have to take it easy for a bit." She said sternly. "… Anything to get me of this bed." Byleth answered. Manuela chuckled. "I am relieved that your sense of humor was not damaged along the way."

"Take it easy." She repeated before drawing the curtain to give him privacy to change clothes. Jeralt had dropped him a new change an hour ago. He heard Manuela leave the room.

He jumped out of the bed and stretched his muscles a little. They were sore from laying down for too long. He proceeded to put on his clean clothes when he heard the door open and close.

Not paying much attention to it he proceeded to sit down to put his boots on. The curtain of his bed was drawn open. Byleth looked up almost surprised. Edelgard was standing there looking at him. She looked happy to see him alive.

"Hello Edelgard." Byleth said calmly. He was trying to suppress his first reaction to stand up and run to her. "Professor… It is good to see you well." Edelgard said almost as calmly. The only thing that gave her away was an almost inaudible crack on her voice.

"I was about to go looking for you." He said looking back down and finishing the job of putting his boots on. "I will need a report on what happened while I was… indisposed." He said to her standing up. "Of course, you would." She said smiling. "I have already prepared a paper on it. And I am sure Hubert and Ferdinand have their reports done too."

"I should have known that you would already be done with it." He said walking to her. "Still, would you humor me with a spoken report? Perhaps over tea?" He said bushing his hand with hers once he passed beside her. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"It would be my pleasure to join you." Edelgard responded walking a few paces behind him. "Let me arrange it today. I am sure that Professor Manuela told you to take it easy today." She was looking at him sternly. "Have you been eavesdropping, Edelgard?" He stopped in front of the door, raising an eyebrow, and looking to her.

"Maybe…" She said in a whisper smirking at him. Byleth shook his head and resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "Alright. I will let you arrange the tea party." He said simply. She flashed him a disarming smile.

Byleth sighed. He opened the door to walk out. "I was told that the rest of the Eagles would arrive today." He said. "Yes, the Pegasi rescue squad took only the most injured with them." "… And what are you doing here then?" He asked suppressing a smile.

"I… As a House leader it was my duty to accompany my esteemed Professor and my injured peer." She was blushing but said the words with conviction. "I see. You sound like Ferdinand." He said almost smiling. "And that was not accomplished by flying with the Knight you stole the Pegasus from?" He asked reproachingly.

"So, you know." She said shaking her head. "Of course. And you should know that there will be consequences for those actions." Byleth said. Edelgard paled visibly. "What do you mean, Professor?" She asked him. "Well, you leave me no choice than to give you detention after class." He said smoothly.

"… I see…" She looked down to the ground trying to hide a smile. "You will have my perfect file stained by detention?" Edelgard scoffed. "Will it matter in the end?" He asked seriously. "Suppose not." She answered sighing.

"Then it is settled." He said triumphantly. "You will stay with me after class for at least a week." He informed her. "A week?" She almost shrieked. "You really are an overachiever." He said to her amused. "I…" She started. "Speaking of which, don't you have classes to attend?" He continued teasing her.

"The Blue Lions have been working on Crestology lately." She rolled her eyes. "You may know that it is not my favorite topic." She said walking beside him. "Although I managed to ask Professor Hanneman if two persons with the same Crests would be attracted to each other." She said giving him a meaningful look.

"An interesting question. What did he answer?" He responded curious. "That there were no recorded incidents like those. But that persons with the same Crests could develop a very deep friendship with each other." She said sighing.

"I was approached by Dimitri after class and asked if I was attracted to your father." Byleth almost laughed. She possessed the Crest of Seiros just like his father did. "And are you?" Byleth asked in a very good mood. Edelgard scoffed. "Your father might have his charm. But I have set my eye on someone else." She said smoothly.

Byleth stopped in his tracks. He needed to distract any prying ears that might or not be hearing this conversation. "Hm… I will not pry, my student. But just that you know, I will keep an eye out in case you need my protection." He said seriously. She nodded at him smiling. "Thank you, Professor."

"Ah! There you are." Sethet called them. Byleth turned around to face him. "Good morning, Sethet." He bowed a bit. "Yes, good morning to both of you." He said greeting Professor and the student. "Lady Rhea is waiting for you in the Audience Hall." Sethet continued.

"Ah… I was hoping I could go take a shower first." Byleth said almost crestfallen. "It is very important to give her a complete repo-" Sethet was saying sternly when he was cut off by a soft voice. "It is OK. Sethet." Lady Rhea called him off. "He has after all been confined to a bed for a whole week. Let him clean himself up." She waved his advisor to leave.

"As you wish, Lady Rhea." Sethet said sounding frustrated. He bowed to her and turned around on his heels towards his office. "I am sorry, dear child. He can be very demanding at times; I should give him some time off to spend with his sister perhaps?" Lady Rhea was musing to herself.

"Ah, forgive me. I am overjoyed to see you out of that bed." She smiled at him. "I was meaning to ask you… Maybe it is silly of me, but may I invite you to a cup of tea this evening?" She was looking at him intently.

 _Careful, Byleth. This woman is clearly trying to manipulate you. Remember the conversation from the other night._ Sothis growled. _Still I think you should accept the offer… According to your terms._ Sothis said mischievously.

"I would love to, Lady Rhea." For a moment he saw her eyes light up. "But I have already a tea party to attend with Edelgard and my father later this evening." He continued. There were two thing he noticed in that moment. First one, Lady Rhea seemed crestfallen. And second Edelgard seemed unhappy.

"But maybe, you could join us?" He added trying to corner the Archbishop. Edelgard was looking at him in disbelief, and Lady Rhea, luckily was not paying attention to her. She smiled graciously. "It has been a while that I have had tea with a student." She said looking at Edelgard for the first time. "If miss von Hresvelg does not object, I would like to accept the offer."

"It would be my honor." Edelgard responded graciously enough, but Byleth saw the smallest hint of her eye twitching. _Oh! You are in for an earful later today._ Sothis giggled. _I just hope it is worth it._ He said sighing mentally.

Byleth and Edelgard bowed to the Archbishop and continued their walk to the dormitories in silence. Once they reached the outside of the training grounds, Edelgard spoke up. "Are we being followed?" She asked in a whisper. "Yes, to your right behind the pillars." He responded.

"Not exactly in earshot." She analyzed. "What were you thinking?" She almost growled at him. "There is something I have to find out." He whispered back. "The only person that can give me answers is her." He said softly. Edelgard seemed unconvinced.

They had reached the door of his room. "That reminds me, I have a paper I need to give back to you. The one for Extra Credit I assigned before the mission." Of course, he was making it up, but she caught on his scheme right away.

"Ah yes." She said smiling. "Your views on the battalion formation are quite interesting. Would you like to come in? It will take me a while to find the paper." He asked her. "If it is no bother to you…" She said fake-shyly.

"Nonsense." He opened his door letting her in. "It will be just a minute." He said closing his door again. "Silence." He cast a spell on his room. "Ward." He had never cast that spell to ward his room, but he sure hoped that it worked.

He closed the space between them and kissed her. She responded wrapping her arms around him. They separated to breathe. "I thought I had lost you." Edelgard said pulling him closer. "I thought I was a goner too." He said truthfully.

He reluctantly let go of her making his way to his desk. He searched for some empty papers to give her. "Rhea did something to me." He said. "What?" She asked alarmed. Byleth looked at her in the eyes. "I do not know how to explain it." He said to her handing over the papers.

"My heart… It has never beaten. And my father has his suspicions that Rhea has something to do with it." He tried to explain. Edelgard looked incredulously. Without a word she approached him and placed her ear where his heart was. He heard her gasp after a moment.

She looked up alarmed. "How?" She asked. "That is something I hope to find out later today." He said. "Then I will not interfere. This is something you and your fath-" She started rambling. "No. I need you there." He said truthfully. "You of all people would understand the implications, if what I fear is true." He continued taking her hand in his.

There was a loud bang on his door. It opened a second later and Jeralt barged in. Byleth released her hand, but his father had seen it already. He smirked. "Well, I do hope I am not interrupting anything." He said walking in and closing the door.

"Silence." Byleth whispered, placing the spell back in place. "No, actually you were not." Byleth said to his father raising an eyebrow. "I heard you were going to take a shower. I figured I would wait here for you." He said eyeing the princess who had taken a few steps back and holding an empty stack of papers to her chest.

"You were not planning on taking the princess with you, were you?" Jeralt asked wiggling his eyebrows. Edelgard blushed immediately at the implication and her eyes wide. Byleth shook his head in amusement. "Not without her consent." He said smoothly. Edelgard looked like a deer on the run.

"Hah! I am just messing with ya." Jeralt approached the princess. "I know." He whispered. "And I approve." He smiled at her. Edelgard nodded at him smiling shyly. "Now that that is done, why am I invited to take tea with Rhea and you two?" Jeralt crossed his arms looking at his son.

"She was trying again to get to me alone. I figured there are some things we need to discuss." Byleth answered. "And since I had already agreed to take tea with Edelgard, I found it rude to exclude her." Jeralt looked between Edelgard and his son.

He threw his arms out shaking his head and saying. "Alright. I will trust your judgement, son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed, please don't be a stranger and leave a review.
> 
> Until next time.


	9. White Clouds - Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might (or not, who knows) have gone a little overboard with this chapter. You'll see what I mean in a few minutes.  
> Either way: Enjoy!  
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 8)**

After Byleth had cleaned himself up, he sat on his room grading a few papers that he needed to finish. But his mind kept wandering to Edelgard. He often found himself thinking about the scarce kisses they had shared and how good it felt waking up next to her.

_Focus, you oaf._ Sothis interjected. _You are about write down something incriminating into the scary one's paper._ She said. Byleth focused on his pen and on what he was doing. True enough he had written a capital 'E' in one of the sections where he could comment on the student's work.

He sighed, deciding that it would be better stop grading. Rhea had arranged for the tea party to be held at her quarters. He had about an hour before he was supposed to meet with Edelgard and his father at the foot of the stair that lead to the archbishop's chambers.

He decided to take a walk to clear his head. He walked out of his room with no destination in mind. He focused on the meeting later that day. He was anxious to get Rhea to talk about his condition. But he also knew that it would be a very difficult task to get her talking.

_Whatever we find out, we will find out together._ Sothis said soothingly. _Maybe the archbishop is in a talkative mood._ Byleth mused. _She did promise though._ Sothis chimed in. _Not to us._ He responded quickly. _And we do not know if she will tell us the truth._ He added as an afterthought.

_Remember that you have a Goddess on your side. I will know if what she says is the truth._ She said trying to soothe him. _Besides, she promised Jeralt to answer all your questions. And he will be present. And he will not let her forget about it._ Sothis smiled at him.

"A penny for your thoughts, professor." A sweet voice called out snapping him from his mental conversation. He looked up and found that he had walked to the cemetery and was standing in front od his mother's grave. "Huh…" He mused.

"You really were deep in thought. I have followed you here from the Knights Hall, you never noticed me following you." Lysithea said to him. "I am glad to see you walking again." She said shyly.

"I am glad that _you_ are fine as well. I was told that you came here exhausted. Something about a force field?" He asked. "Yeah… I am fine now, no need to reprimand me." She said. "I got plenty of that from Sethet, Claude and Hilda."

"I was not going to reprimand you. I merely needed to know what happened." He said. "As you remember, I was absent for two days before we reached the camp." He reminded her. "Even then you were unconscious." She said matter-o-factly.

"You gave us all quite the scare. Lindhardt and Dorothea did their best to heal you, but there was something that was preventing them." She shook hear head. "Even Hubert tried to use his scarce heal magic on you." She said giving him a small smile.

"Did he now?" Byleth said smirking. "Well, I will have to thank him later then." Lysithea looked alarmed. "Please do not tell him I told you or I might be murdered in the night."

"Hah!" He chuckled. "Don't worry, I will not tell him." He said. "Want to sit down on that bench? Then you can tell me what happened after Edelgard and I went flying out of the tower." She nodded and followed him.

They sat down. It took Lysithea a moment to collect her thoughts. "The tower was crumbling down. The beast had made considerable damage to the structure." She said frowning. "You did not help either, breaking that wall." She looked at him reproachfully.

"For what it is worth, I am sorry." He said smiling at her. "Yeah… Well we were fighting the beast, when felt a terrible yank on the floor. We regrouped as best as we could after Gilbert shouted us to. A second later the roof was falling down on us."

"I… did not think on the consequences at the time, but I somehow managed to conjure enough energy to make a protecting shield on us." She said still frowning. "What makes me curious is that it was not a ward spell I used and the energy I used was not mine."

"In fact, I did not use any spell that I can remember. I just… molded the provided energy to protect us." She motioned with her hands in circular motions. Maybe remembering what she did in the moment. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yes, in a way." He said surprising her. He had been able to feel the energy another person was emanating before, though the circumstances were different.

"I would have loved to see that. Do you think you could do it again?" Byleth asked curious. "I... don't know. Do you want me to?" She asked concerned. "Not necessarily, if you don't want to." He answered.

"But it would benefit you greatly if you could harness the energy of your surroundings. Maybe you would not be as exhausted after the missions." He offered honestly. He raised his hands once he saw his student get angry.

"I am only concerned of your wellbeing." He added quickly. She sighed in defeat. "I know. And I appreciate that." He smiled at her.

"So, you made a shield and I assume you guarded your allies?" He prompted her to continue. "And my enemy as well, it turned out." She said bitterly. "We landed on the floor and I was no longer able to maintain the shield. The rubble and debris fell on us."

"We were dusting ourselves out but cold rain made it difficult. We were trying to regroup and help our comrades out of the rubble, when we heard a terrifying roar." She said looking at the scenery in front of her. Her eyes became distant.

"We hurried. I remember that we were scrambling into the woods, helping the injured and dreading an attack." She continued looking away and Byleth started to get worried. He took her hand in his, snapping her from the trance she had been in.

"Sorry, it was just… terrifying. Like a scary tale. It was pouring cod rain; a beast was after us and lighting was the only thing to help is find or way." She looked at him apologetically. "I can imagine." Byleth said trying to sooth her. He squeezed her hand to encourage her to continue.

It took her a minute, but she continued retelling that day occurrences. "Anyway, we were deep in the forest, Gilbert and his knights were covering our rear, Hubert and Ferdinand were arguing on who was second in command after Edelgard…" She shook her head. Byleth scoffed.

"Those two find a way to argue with each other even in the direst of situations." He shook his head. He made a mental note to clear the 'second in command' issue once his students were back. "Yeah… It was annoying." She agreed.

"The beast managed to get out of the rubble and followed us to the forest." She sighed. "There was no other option than to fight it." She shook her head. "We planted ourselves into the muddy ground and waited for it to find us. I noticed that it had regrown its barriers."

"We attacked again in unison, like you ordered us back in the tower. But we were lacking Edelgard's and your power to be able to stun it like the first time." She shook her head disapprovingly. "The beast spit up some kind of poison, Ferdinand and Petra were affected by it."

"Fortunately for them, Hubert had a few Antitoxins with him." She smiled again. "After a few rounds of attacks, I got fed up with fighting that thing." She blushed. "I… was able to harness the energy around me again and launched an unknown spell at it."

"I think it was black magic I used." She said quietly. "Hm… Black magic you say? Tell me about the spell." He said encouraging her. "It was… black flames, all over, consuming the trees. But I made sure it left my comrades alone." Lysithea said looking to the ground.

"It consumed the beast, which somehow exploded and splashed us all with its… gooey, smelly black slime." She said in disgust looking at her hair as if looking for the remnants of the slime. "All that was left, was an intact Lance of Ruin and a charred body."

"I collapsed afterwards. And that is all I can remember." She said to him. He still had her hand in his. He squeezed it one more time. She looked up again. "You were amazing." Byleth said to her. "I am proud of you." He nodded at her, releasing her hand.

It was clearly not the reaction that she was expecting. She beamed at him. "I would like to help you train and control your magic." He said seriously. "I… am just worried that I used dark magic." Lysithea was looking to the ground.

"Using dark magic does not make you a bad person." He said honestly. "It is what you do with your magic what defines you." He continued once she looked up at him. "You saved your fellow students from that thing. I do not think that it makes you a bad person."

"Besides, with a little practice, you will be the most respected and feared mage of our time." He smirked at her. She beamed at him again. "You mean it?" She asked hopefully. "I am sure of it. You will give Hubert a run for his money." She laughed at his joke. "That would be quite the achievement." She said once she calmed down.

"I think you're a wonderful teacher." She said after a moment. "I try." He said honestly. "I mean it, Professor. Your account for people's weaknesses while capitalizing on their strengths is something to wonder at." She exclaimed.

"Initially I wasn't sure you paid too much attention to your students. You seemed… distant." She looked at him apologetically. "Clearly, I was wrong." She added quickly.

"After all, were that the case, you wouldn't be capable of providing such useful feedback." She continued. "I'll continue to learn and grow from your instruction, Professor. I just know it!" She smiled dangling her legs in the air.

"You're quite determined." He responded. "You think I'm determined?" She said confused. "Yes. You're always pushing yourself." He smiled at her.

"Professor, I... Thank you! You're the only one who's ever praised me like that. Though bearing two Crests isn't a gift I ever asked for..." _Two Crest?!_ Sothis exclaimed. "Anyhow, I've made a point to work harder than most and not rely too heavily on the power they bestow. So, I find it frustrating that the only praise I seem to receive is directly related to that power." She continued oblivious of the inner turmoil that Byleth was experiencing.

"If you have noticed how hard I work, then, well... It just... It makes me very happy." She continued looking up at him. "Professor?" She asked him concerned once he failed to respond.

"I am sorry… Did you say you posses two Crests?" He asked her seriously. _What are the odds?_ He mused in his mind. _This is not about odds. This was designed._ Sothis was frowning.

"I… ah… I thought Edelgard told you?" She said confused. "Edelgard?" He replied just as confused. "Apparently not… It's just, you two seem to be very close friends..." She said. "I… told her about my… situation." Lysithea tried to find the words. "You see, I am the only child of House Ordelia." She explained. "But that was not always the case." She said to him.

"It all started when my House responded to a call for help from House Hrym, who were revolting the Adrestian Empire." Lysithea continued. "The imperial forces prevailed and took over our territory. The Alliance did not help us, trying to avoid further confrontation with the empire." She said sadly.

"Duke Aegir was in command." _Ferdinand's father. Could this mean…?_ Byleth's mind was working fast. "Mages started conducting painful experiments on us. My siblings and other children did not survive." She said sadly. _Damn._

"I was the only child that survived. The result of those experiments is that I now wear two Crests." Byleth was at a loss of words. She was also experimented on. Duke Aegir was involved? He needed to research this further. He tried to calm himself down.

_This is troubling. Your princess was not the only one? How many more?_ Sothis managed to say. "That is awful, Lysithea." He said. "Is that why you work yourself so hard?" He asked connecting a lot of dots together.

"I must do all I can for my family name. I'm determined to someday be of real value to them, and that day must come soon." She said with conviction. "I can't waste any time. I don't have much of it left..." She looked at him.

The bell rang. It indicated the end of the class day and the scheduled meeting with Edelgard and his father for the tea party. "Anyway, I should be going. I would appreciate that you kept the information I just gave you to yourself." He nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Professor."

She left him sitting on the bench. _Sothis, does this have to do with Rhea?_ He asked her. _No. This is something else._ Sothis mused thinking. _Add it to the list then._ He sighed getting up and walking to the meeting point.

* * *

Byleth arrived at the meeting point near the audience hall. Edelgard was already there waiting for them. "There you are!" She said relieved. "I was beginning to think that I was going to be taking tea with Lady Rhea alone." She chuckled nervously.

"I am sorry." He said absentmindedly. "Is there something wrong?" She asked him. "Huh?... Sorry, I just had an unexpected conversation with Lysithea." He said shaking his head to focus. "Ah… What did she tell you?" She asked carefully.

"About her _condition_ , and its origins." He said sadly. "I know I told you that I would give you time. But there are somethings I need to know." He whispered to her. She nodded in agreement. "I will find time." She promised him.

"Sorry to be late!" Jeralt shouted behind them. "I had nearly forgotten about this meeting." He said once he caught up to them. "Shall we?" He asked motioning Edelgard to go up first. She complied with a serious nod. Byleth felt a push that prompted him to go after her.

The passageway was narrow, there was enough space for one person to pass through. "The door is locked." Edelgard informed them. Byleth looked up and his eyes met Edelgard's rear end a few inches from his face. He blushed bewildered. He looked darkly down at his father, who was smiling innocently at him.

"You will have to turn the handle to the right a few inches, so that it will unlock." Jeralt called out. There were metal sounds where Edelgard did as instructed. "Its not working." She said exasperated. "Let me try." Byleth said. He ascended two steps. But he had forgotten that the passageway was very narrow.

Edelgard moved to the side to give him space effectively pinning them to each other and to the walls behind them. Byleth looked her in the eyes for a moment before hearing his father cough loudly. The young man shook his head slightly trying to turn the handle to the right. It was still locked.

Knowing his father, he decided to try the other way round. It worked this time. He opened the door… to find Lady Rhea a few paces away from it. She raised her brows in surprise at the sight of the Professor and his student at such an intimate proximity.

Byleth prepared himself for a scolding and was surprised to hear the archbishop giggle. Edelgard was the first one to move forward, detaching herself of the situation. She also looked at Jeralt darkly as he walked into the room.

"Lady Rhea, I apologize if the sight disturbed you." Edelgard said. It earned another fit of giggles from Rhea. _The sound is disturbing._ Sothis said. _Almost unnatural._ She continued. Byleth agreed with her but remained silent.

"Oh, Jeralt. Why do you keep doing that?" Rhea said after she calmed down. "Edelgard, dear, do not fret. Jeralt has been pulling that jest off since he started working here." Byleth was sure that Edelgard shuddered at the 'dear' part.

"I remember a time when the now Duke Aegir and Marquis Vestra were… 'stuck' into the same position." Rhea motioned to join her into her quarters. "You need to imagine that the Duke was just as… 'round' as he is today." She giggled again.

Jeralt was the only one that chuckled at the memory. "It took me a lot of force to get them 'unstuck'. I believe their friendship shattered at that moment. Don't want to imagine why." He was smirking. Byleth noted that his father was acting. He could tell from the way his eyes darkened the second Rhea turned. _Oh boy…_

Byleth knew that Edelgard would not like the mention of Duke Aegir, so he turned to look at her. Her mask of indifference in place. She heard the archbishop's tale and gave no indication of her disgust. He decided to let it go for the moment and looked around the room.

The room was large and... barren. There were no decorations or bookshelves on the walls. The large canopy bed, a nightstand and a small desk could be seen on the back of the room. On the front of the room was a circular table, beautifully adorned with the finest tea set Byleth had ever laid his eyes on and an excess of pastries and sweets.

"Let us sit and enjoy the moment." Rhea motioned them join her. Byleth advanced and picked a seat next to the archbishop. He could feel Sothis' confusion. _Keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer. It is something my father taught me early on._ He explained. Jeralt was also sitting down next to Rhea. Leaving Edelgard to be opposite from her.

Byleth grabbed a piece of cake and put on the plate in front of him. Jeralt was looking at the pastries on the table, trying to decide which one to try first. Edelgard on her side sat down graciously, like the noblewoman she was. She had crossed her leg over the other.

Something clicked inside the young Professor. _I am no match for her…_ He had just realized that she was the future Emperor of a big nation, and that he was just a former mercenary. What could he offer her? He was no noble and not even that well educated. _Let her decide that._ Sothis advised. _Or do you think that she would have kissed you back if she did not feel the same way?_ The Goddess questioned him.

He felt a careful nudge on his shin. He almost jumped surprised but suppressed it somehow. He looked at Rhea and Jeralt exchanging little pleasantries. He then looked at the princess beside him, she was looking at him intently, worry and curiosity in her eyes. "Could you pass me a piece of cake, Professor?" She said her.

"Of course." He said taking her plate in his hand while using the cake server to place the selected piece into the plate. He handed it to her, and their fingers brushed for a second. "Thank you." She said graciously. "You're welcome."

"Would you like some tea, dear?" Lady Rhea said talking to Edelgard. "If you would be so kind." Edelgard held her cup up. Once filled up, the archbishop turned to Byleth. "What about you, Professor?" She was looking at him intently.

"Yes, please, Lady Rhea." He mimicked Edelgard's motions. "You can all call me Rhea. I am not the Archbishop as of now and during the duration of this party." She smiled at him softly. Jeralt nodded digging into as much pastries as he could get his fingers on.

Edelgard was eyeing him amused. Byleth wanted to smack him on the head. "Oh dear… It seems that I will need to order more pastries… Enjoying them, Jeralt?" Rhea said also amused. "Oh yes." Jeralt said nonchalantly. "I have not had any of these for years." He said looking at Byleth. "The last time I had the joy, was when I shared the last tea party with your mother."

There was a sudden change of mood in the atmosphere of the room. Jeralt was looking at Byleth sadly while Rhea was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Byleth was thinking fast on something to say to grasp the opportunity to deepen the conversation. It was ultimately Edelgard who saved the moment.

"The Professors' mother?" She asked sounding confused. "I did not know that you met Byleth's mother in the Monastery, Sir Jeralt." She continued. "Just Jeralt, please." His father said looking at her. "And yes, I met her here. You see, Sitri was born and raised in the Monastery. Due to her frail constitution, she was not able to leave it. She used to be a nun here." Jeralt said smiling sadly.

Rhea was uncomfortable and tried to mask it by staying silent. "She and I eventually fell in love. We married soon after." He said crossing his arms. "I remember _someone_ disapproving vehemently of our marriage." Jeralt said looking at Rhea, who was sipping on her tea.

"She was a nun, and it was unheard of one ever marrying anyone. At least at this monastery." Rhea set the teacup down slowly. "What a load of…" Jeralt said before stopping himself. "Why don't you tell the kid the truth?" Jeralt was getting angry.

"The truth?" Byleth found his voice once again. "What truth?" He asked Rhea directly. "This is a conversation I hoped to conduct in private, Byleth." Rhea said looking at Edelgard. "I do not mind if my student hears anything you have to say." Byleth said more forcefully than intended.

He felt another nudge on his shin. Before he could react, he heard a sigh from Rhea. "If this is how you want it…" It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. "Sitri… Was my daughter… in a sense." It took Byleth and Edelgard aback.

"That is why I was not very _happy_ when I heard those two had married." Rhea motioned at Jeralt. He sat there with his arms crossed trying to suppress a scoff. "So… I am your _grandson_?" It would explain a lot of things, but it felt odd. _It would, but I sense that, that is NOT the whole truth._ Sothis warned him.

"In a sense, yes." Rhea said eyeing him carefully. Byleth decided to push his luck. "In what sense?" He asked. "We should really consider having this conversation in private." Rhea said deflecting and grinding her teeth.

"You are not leaving us like this." Jeralt said his arms still crossed, pastries and tea forgotten. "We deserve the truth." Byleth agreed with his father. Rhea started rubbing her temples. "Well I guess, this was inevitable." Rhea said sighing again.

"First I have to say that I am not proud of my actions… They were selfish and were conducted for personal reasons." She was choosing her words carefully, talking slowly. "I am your mother's creator, not her mother." Rhea raised her hand to stop any questions coming from either Jeralt or Byleth.

"You see, I felt terribly lonely and I wanted… to feel someone's love again." She said carefully. _Sothis, is it true or is she telling us lies?_ Byleth asked. _She is, for once, being honest._ Sothis told him.

"I used my blood and flesh to create her body, but it needed the element of life to be awakened." She said ignoring the reactions of the 'party' participants, her voice sounded sad and full of regret. "I… I implanted a Crest Stone to her heart to recreate life."

Byleth's and Jeralt's eyes widened. His father was turning red in his anger, while Byleth was at a loss of words again. Rhea continued talking still ignoring the reactions she was receiving. "When I found out that she was pregnant, I thought it a miracle from the Goddess. It filled my heart with joy." She continued glancing at Byleth.

"I was hopeful once again. Maybe this child would be the person I so long waited for." She said sadly. "The night she went into labor, Jeralt was away on a mission near the Monastery." She looked at his father briefly. "They called me to assist. I… brought her here, to my chambers, to better give her comfort."

_Not the whole truth._ Sothis said to him. _Should I interrupt?_ He asked her in return. _No, otherwise she might get suspicious._ Sothis concluded. "She… gave birth to a stillborn child… A boy…" Rhea looked down and let a single tear roll down her cheek.

Byleth froze in place. He heard his father pounce the table with his fist, and Edelgard gasp. Lady Rhea let a sob out. Everything played out in slow motion, Jeralt's anger, Rhea's sorrow and Edelgard's confusion and rage. Sothis was beside him, watching the Archbishop intently. He could feel her anger, her disgust, and her disbelief.

"What happened next?" Jeralt demanded his tone hard as steel. Byleth realized for the first time that he was breathing heavily, and that Edelgard was nudging his shin again. For a moment everyone at the table looked at him. But Byleth did not dare to tear his gaze from the archbishop.

"Byleth, dear chil-" Rhea started. "What happened next?!" He repeated what his father said matching his tone. She looked at him defeated. "Sitri… She asked me to save you at all costs." She said once she found her voice again. Tears fell freely down her cheeks. "I was reluctant at first…" _Lie._ Sothis said angry.

"But I relented, seeing that the lifeforce I implanted in her was failing her." _That is true._ "I… removed the Crest Stone from her chest erasing all signs of life from her and implanted it into the dead child." The archbishop raised her head and wiped down her tears.

"It took a moment, but then the boy started to move. But he did not cry." Rhea continued. "I checked him. He had a pulse but no heartbeat." She continued regaining her composure.

Byleth felt something warm on his face. He raised his hand to touch it and looked at it. A tear. Never had he had the sensation on his face of a tear falling down his face before. Jeralt gasped.

Byleth got up forcefully, still looking at the tear in his finger. The chair fell loudly on the ground, but he ignored the sound. "So…" He said his voice raspy with emotion. "I am… what?" The pieces of a puzzle finally fell together. "An experiment? A vessel? For the Crest Stone?" He asked.

Rhea tried to reach for his hand to calm him down. He took it away before she could make contact. "The Crest Stone contains the Crest of Flames, am I right?" He asked the archbishop forcefully. She nodded.

He turned away walking to the door. It was all too much to bear. _It is what you wanted._ Sothis reminded him. _It was, and still we were not prepared._ He answered her. _I am a vessel for you, Sothis._ He said sadly.

_No. You are still you and I am your companion._ She tried to reassure him. _You have always been in control. And I have let you make your own choices, even if I did not agree at first._ She said to him. He was in one of the hallways of the lower floors. _And foremost: You are my dear friend._ She concluded.

_Was that the event that bound us together?_ He asked. _Yes, and as I said before, it was forced into me too._ She was just as hurt as he was. _But why you? The Progenitor God off all people?_ He asked running by a pack of students that were greeting him warmly. Once he passed them, they starting calling him back. He could hear footsteps following him. He quickened his pace.

He was almost at the stable. He… no. They needed air. They needed to cool off and figure things out. He found a horse that looked fresh and mounted it. Without a looking back he rode out of the monastery at full speed.

* * *

He stopped his horse once he was deep inside a forest. It was already night. He strapped the horse to a nearby branch near a creek and gave it an apple he found in one of the bags the horse had attached to it. _I hijacked the horse from some Knight or a traveler._ He realized.

Byleth walked deeper into the forest. He found a massive black walnut tree and decided to sit on its roots. He placed his head between his hands. It had been eventful few days and he was emotionally drained.

_Are you there, Sothis?_ He asked. He had shut her out during the ride to the forest. _I am always with you, Byleth._ She answered sighing. _I am sorry for shutting you out._ He offered. _No, I am sorry._ Byleth scoffed. _You are sorry? For what?_ He asked half amused at the irony.

_I am sorry that she used you like that._ Byleth remained silent for a moment. _I… do not understand._ He finally said. _That makes two of us._ Sothis manifested herself and sat down beside him.

They were frustrated. Each of them trying to find words to say to each other. _You were right, you know?_ He finally scoffed. _I am always right._ She said arrogantly. Byleth ignored her usual 'herness'. _Well I know now that Rhea is no better than the empire idiots who harmed Edelgard and Lysithea._

_She is not._ She agreed. _But I do not think that the empire had much to do with Lysithea and Edelgard._ Sothis mused. _What do you mean?_ He remembered that at least the Duke Aegir was involved at some point of the tortures.

_Yes, he was involved, but it was not him who conducted the… uh… experiments?_ She looked up at him. _I think there is another group here working in the shadows._ Byleth considered it for a moment. _Is Rhea involved?_ He asked trying to make sense of things.

_Not directly, no._ Sothis said. _I am hitting a wall once again._ She sighed. _Then we will have to break it down soon._ He said with conviction. _There is no wall that will keep us in the dark anymore. I am sick of it._ He could hear himself growl in his mind.

_Who do I have to interrogate about it?_ Byleth asked her. She understood that he was relying on her Goddess intuition. There was a moment of silence. _You are not going to like this._ She finally sighed. _Who?_ He demanded internally.

_Edelgard._

* * *

He returned the horse to the stables. The sun was slowly rising and Byleth had not slept at all. He sat on the roots of the tree until he was no longer able to feel his butt.

It was Sunday, which meant that there were no classes today. He was grateful because he did not think he could concentrate with all he had on his mind today. He made a bee line to his room. Fortunately for him, there were no students up yet and very few knights making rounds.

He opened his door and walked in. His father was snoring slumped down on his chair. "It is the second time that I have found you like this in less than two days." Jeralt snorted and jumped up taking a fighting position. He blinked a few times before he recognized his son.

"You are back!" He exclaimed loudly but relieved. "I needed to clear my head. And now I need some sleep." Byleth said nonchalantly. "About that…" He walked up to his bed when he noticed it was not empty.

He stopped in his tracks. Edelgard was stirring in his bed but did not wake up. Byleth looked back and raised an eyebrow to his father. "Hey… Don't ask me." He said raising his hands in defeat. "I tried to kick her out, but the girl can argue…" He said trying to lighten his son's mood.

Byleth shook his head hiding a smile. "That is true." He said. "Yeah… Anyway, she insisted on remaining awake until you returned. She sat there stoically for hours." Jeralt rubbed the back of his head. "I fell asleep before she did…" He smiled apologetically.

Byleth chuckled but nodded his thanks to his father. "No problem, Kid." Jeralt patted his son on the shoulder smiling while he was moving to leave. "I was thinking…" Byleth said. "I would like to go out fishing with you again."

After a small pause, Jeralt nodded. "I would like that too. Soon?" Jeralt asked. Byleth nodded. "Ok then. I will let you sort this out yourself. I already took the nightshift." Jeralt said to him smirking and exited the room.

Byleth stood there for a moment until he sighed. He approached Edelgard carefully remembering the last time he woke her up abruptly. "Edelgard?" He raised his voice. "Hey, wake up." He said. It was not working.

He sighed again. _I wish you luck._ Sothis smirked. _Thanks, I guess._ He said ironically. He kneeled on the ground and prepared to block. Byleth raised his hand gingerly and shook her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and her hand shot up.

He blocked the jab to his neck but was taken by surprise once her other hand wrapped itself around his neck. Edelgard hugged him tightly. He sat there for a moment not moving. _Aren't you going to return the hug?_ Sothis asked him. _You are just as relieved to see her as she issuing you._ She pointed out.

_Meddling much?_ He said and got a giggle as response. He raised his arms slowly to return the hug. He buried his nose on her neck and breathed her scent in. Almonds and vanilla. He sighed once he realized how much he had missed her.

But the moment could not last forever. She released him and huffed. "Why did you run like that?" Edelgard was angry. "…It was too much to bear." He said simply. "… I needed to clear my head." He sat down next to her on the bed.

There was a moment of silence. "I tried to run after you." She said quietly. "I was worried you might not come back." She continued. Byleth looked at her. "I was intercepted by the rest of the Eagles. They had just returned from their journey back and were already equipping to go after you." She eyed him annoyed.

"I stayed back to calm them down." She sighed. "I did not tell them anything. But they are concerned." Edelgard crossed her arms in front of her. "Just as I was." Another moment of silence stretched. "… For what it is worth, I am sorry." He finally said.

"I understand why you needed time for yourself. Just… Do not do it again… please?" She was almost begging him. He had never seen the princess this vulnerable before. "…I… can't." He said truthfully.

Edelgard's reaction was difficult for him to read. He knew she was disappointed in his answer and he could see that she felt hurt by it. But there was something else in the emotions mix-up that he could not put his finger on.

"I am not the most adept person to deal with emotions." Byleth sighed. "Running away for a while… it is something I need." He continued. "I cannot promise you that I will never run away again." He said.

Edelgard looked down crestfallen. It hurt him to hurt her like that. "I… can tell you where could find me, though." Edelgard looked up waiting for him to continue. "I usually find comfort inside forests. They are usually quiet and peaceful."

"I will remember that." She said giving him a small smile. "What will you tell the rest of the Black Eagles?" She asked him. Byleth raised an eyebrow. "I don't know." He said thinking. _You received some personal news, that needed to be processed in reclusion?_ Sothis offered.

"I received some personal news, that I needed to process in reclusion?" Byleth repeated out loud. "That… might work." She said. "And if not, I will interfere." She smiled. _Thanks, Sothis._ He smiled. _Anytime._ She waved his thanks off.

"Edelgard, we need to talk." He said sighing. "That we do." She agreed, somehow knowing what he wanted to know. "I promise you to find time." She said honestly. "I guess it will be a long talk…" She sighed.

A yawn escaped him. "You did not sleep at all, did you?" She looked amused. He shook his head. "Well then, as much as I would like to stay with you… I should let you sleep." She got up blushing a little.

"Hm… Maybe you are spending too much time with my father. You are getting bold." He said smirking. "Ha! Says the one that teases me relentlessly." She chuckled. "I figured that I could tease back." She returned his smirk.

"Sleep well, my teacher." She said before she bent down and stole a kiss from him. She quickly turned around and exited the room. He chuckled again before he yawned once more. He removed his light armor, shirt and boots, and settled on his bed closing his eyes.

* * *

He was woken up by loud banging on his door. Byleth looked at the window it was still bright outside, so he calculated he had gotten a few hours of sleep. He remained on his bed, wishing that whoever was outside would take the hint and go away.

The banging continued and he groaned loudly. He got out of bed, not bothering covering his bare chest, ready to murder the one that disturbed his peace. He opened the door to meet Sethet on his doorstep.

"What do you need?" He said as forcefully as he could. "Is that the way to greet a superior?" Sethet matched his tone. Byleth raised his eyebrow annoyed. "Not in the mood, advisor…" He muttered.

"What was that?" Sethet demanded angrily. "I am in no mood today…" Byleth said closing his door but Sethet pushed his way into the room. "I am the one in no mood!" He exclaimed. He stepped closer to Byleth closing the door.

"What did you do to the Archbishop?" Sethet narrowed his eyes and lowered his tone clearly accusing Byleth of something. The younger man stood there holding the ground, before the irony of the situation caught up to him.

Byleth started laughing. "Is this a joke to you?!" Sethet bewilderment was evident in his voice. "Yes… a cruel joke of... something." Byleth said regaining his composure. "Tell me advisor, what exactly did Rhea tell you?"

" _Lady_ Rhea did not tell _me_ anything. She has been locked up in her room since your tea party yesterday." Sethet informed him arrogantly. "I am concerned about her wellbeing." He concluded crossing his arms expectantly. Byleth turned to grab a glass of water to calm himself down, when he felt Sethet's hand on his shoulder, forcing him to turn back.

Byleth snapped. With a quick movement he pinned the advisor to the cold wall headfirst twisting his arms to his back. "Do not touch me ever again." The young man warned him dangerously in his ear.

"Do you want to know what _I_ did to your dear _Lady_ Rhea?" Byleth growled in his ear. "I demanded the truth. Nothing else." He said softening his tone a little bit. "Then why…?" Sethet was breathing hard.

"Why don't you ask _her_ what she did to _me_?" Byleth said angrily in a very low tone. It was almost inaudible. "How she experimented on my mother and myself." He said, conscious that it might be a mistake to spread that information. But he was unable to stop himself.

_Stop it, Byleth. You are going to suffocate him._ Sothis urged him. Byleth knew he had to release him. With a final grunt he forced the advisor once more to the wall before releasing him. The young man walked to the door and opened it.

"Get out." He said. From the corner of his eye he saw a few students gaping at him, but he did not care. The advisor gave no signs to move, he was rubbing his left wrist. He looked confused and indignant. But there was also fear in his eyes.

"Out!" He growled one final time before he grabbed the taller man by the shoulder and almost tossed him out. The advisor barely caught himself before falling to the ground. He heard gasps coming from the students. He knew there was going to be a lot of gossip later on.

He did not care. He activated the Ashen Demon inside of him. Byleth looked at the crowd. "Don't you have homework to do? Scram!" He growled before closing his door.

_You handled that very well…_ Sothis said sarcastically. _Oh, shut it._ He responded. _Calm down._ She advised before she sent soothing waves of energy through him. He sighed. _Thanks_. He nodded to her. _Do not thank me yet… That stunt could cost you your job._ She said sighing. _A welcome result._ He responded dryly. She sighed defeated.

He sat down on the bed. He was about to slump down on it when a note slid under his door. He considered ignoring it but ultimately got up and picked it up. He unfolded it and read it.

' _Goddess Tower / Tonight / 20:00 hrs.'_

He burned the note down with magic in his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… What do you think? Too much? Too soon? Would love to hear your comments.  
> Until next time.


	10. White Clouds - Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. I am posting this chapter a little later than usual. I hope you are not too mad at me.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 9)**

Byleth walked the halls to the Audience Chamber. He had been summoned for a meeting early in the morning before class began.

Knights and nuns looked his way one he passed them. Surely, they had heard the student gossip on how he had beaten down the advisor bloody. Or how he had grown horns and turned into a demon. It was all very exaggerated, but that was the way of gossip.

He halted in front of the closed door. He sighed loudly. It might be the last time he stepped into that room. He would not care if he were to be fired from the job, but he regretted that he would have to give up live with his students.

He had learned to love them and enjoy their annoying company. Maybe he could settle in the village nearby. Then his students could be able to visit him on the non-mission weekend…

His line of thought was interrupted by familiar footsteps. "You were called in too?" His father said behind him. "Yes. I think it might have something to do with my behavior to Sethet yesterday." He sighed again.

"So it is true then?" Jeralt said eyeing him. "I do not see the horns…" He smiled. "They retracted just after I circled the sky with my bat wings three times…" Byleth said bitterly. "Hah! That one is funny." His father responded.

Byleth did not find it funny. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever happens, we will find a way to fix it." Jeralt squeezed his shoulder. "Or we both become mercenaries again." Jeralt chuckled.

"Yeah… Let us get this over with." Byleth sighed once more before steeling himself. They stepped into the room together. The Archbishop and her advisor were standing on the end of the room, waiting for them.

Rhea looked… sad, disappointed. Sethet was vivid with anger but remained still. He had a bandage on his nose and a slightly blue eye. " _Professor, mercenary._ " The advisor greeted them with a poisonous tone. Rhea did not even try to hide her sigh.

"Archbishop, Advisor" Byleth returned the greeting minus the poison in his tone. He even bowed a show a little bit of respect. After all, he needed to stick to the plan…

Jeralt was not going to pass the opportunity to mess with the advisor. "What's the matter _advisor_? Have you made assumptions again and are going to accuse my son of stealing your rabbit?"

"Drop it, the three of you." Rhea said annoyed. She regained your composure before looking at the gap between father and son. "I summoned you this early today to discuss our meeting on Saturday and to discuss what happened yesterday."

Byleth crossed his arms and scoffed. "With all due respect, Archbishop, there is nothing I want to discuss about Saturday's meeting." Jeralt nodded.

"But there is. There is so much I need to tell you." Rhea said. "Will it change what you did to our family?" Byleth retorted.

Rhea looked to the ground unable to find words. "Then I do not want to hear it." The professor said finally. "But I do." Sethet said. "I still do not know what happened in that meeting."

"Then I suggest asking her about it." Jeralt said pointing to the archbishop with his thumb. "I agree with my son, I do not want to hear anything else on the matter for a while." He too crossed his arms in front of him.

Rhea sighed sadly. "I see… Then allow me to say that although I regret my past actions, I do not regret the outcome." She said hardening her voice a little. Byleth heard his father breathe in trying to control his anger. His own blood was boiling with anger.

"Is there any other reason for this meeting?" Byleth asked as calmly as he could. To his surprise, his voice was not filled with emotion as he had expected. He regarded the Archbishop with his usual emotionless face.

"There are several." Rhea sighed sadly. "The first one is to inform you that you and your House Leader are on probation because of insubordination against Church officials. Your assignments will be informed to you shortly." _It is not a dismissal of the job, at least._ Sothis said relieved. _But why is your princess also on probation?_

"My House leader…?" Byleth asked expectantly. "She hijacked a Pegasus from its original owner. That kind of insubordination has to be punished." Sethet informed him. "Ah… I had already taken measure, detention for a week after class…" Byleth started but was interrupted by Lady Rhea.

"Then that will suffice, along with the probation." She said glancing at Sethet. He nodded. "As for yourself, assaulting a Church official in broad daylight and in front of the student body…"

"Assaulting? Is that what you told him?" Byleth said to Sethet. "Did you tell her how you came to my room to accuse _me_ of doing something to _her_? If anything, it was self-defense." He said as calmly as he could, he was getting angry, so he paused for a moment.

Rhea was looking at him critically. After a few deep breaths he continued. "I apologize for my actions yesterday. I know I overstepped. But I was not the only one." He said eyeing Sethet, who took a step forward to stand beside the archbishop. _Stick to the plan._ "I accept my punishment."

Jeralt was looking at him incredulously. He raised his hand to scratch behind his ear and while at it he tapped his earlobe three times. It was a signal they had developed long ago. It meant 'follow my lead'.

Jeralt saw the signal, and visibly hardened his features not saying anything. "Very good, dear Professor. Now that that is out of the way, I need to inform you of your next assignment." Rhea said in a 'back to business tone'.

"It has come to my ear that the Black Eagles had been getting the more difficult mission as of late." Lady Rhea said nonchalantly. _Pffftt. Really? We had not noticed at all._ Byleth heard Sothis say in his mind. He had a hard time trying to repress a chuckle.

"As you may understand, we need to provide the same opportunities to the rest of the Houses." She continued oblivious to the mental conversation that just played out in his mind. "Your mission this month is to help rout some bandits from the merchant routes to Garreg Mach."

"Very well, I will inform my House." Byleth bowed and was about to turn around. "Wait, Professor. I must ask of you, not to divulge the information I shared with you on Saturday with anyone else." Rhea said softly. "I trust that Miss Hresvelg will be informed about this request of mine." She eyed him warningly.

 _Stick to the plan._ "Of course. Is there anything else?" Byleth asked as politely as he could. "No, you may leave." Lady Rhea said. He bowed and nodded once at his father before leaving the room.

He waited until he was outside of the building to let a sigh out. _It went better than expected…_ He said to Sothis. He headed to his House room. _Yes, I agree. She wants to keep you close._ Sothis said walking beside him. _I am her most priced experiment after all…_ Byleth responded bitterly.

 _More than just that. She said on Saturday that she wanted to 'feel someone's love again' and that 'you could be the person she so longed for'._ She said thoughtful. Byleth stopped in his tracks as he just realized.

 _Sothis, what if I am supposed to be a reincarnation… of you._ He said his eyes widening. _Me? But why would Rhea long for me?_ She asked very confused, considering the thought. _What do we know about me, the Progenitor God?_

 _Not much… There is surprisingly little literature about you in the library._ Byleth answered honestly. _But we found that child's book. With the history of the Church._ Sothis said remembering the book. Byleth nodded and continued walking.

 _We did not read it though._ He said. _Maybe we should! It may give us a direction to start disentangling this mess._ Sothis urged. _I will borrow it._ The professor promised. _After stopping by Hannemann's office._ He said finally. _Yes, we must ask him about Crests... I know, I still do not like the idea. Sothis mused._

Byleth continued walking. Once he arrived at his House room, he found that Edelgard and Hubert were already there. "Good morning." He said to them emotionlessly. Edelgard concentrated on the piece of paper that she had in front of her, ignoring his greetings.

"Good morning, Professor." Hubert said with a sneer. "Here is my report for the last mission." He said handling him a neatly piled stack of paper.

"Thank you, Hubert. I will review this shortly." Byleth answered his student. Edelgard had been silently watching the interaction between the two. Byleth was not very adept at feelings. But even he was aware of the tension between him and his student. He could have been able to cut through it with his blade.

"Edelgard, I have just learned that we are both on probation." Byleth said turning to look at her in the eye. "What?!" Hubert barked. "Lady Edelgard on probation? Why?" He looked at the young professor expectantly. "Because of the Pegasus incident?" She asked looking at him, another question in her eyes. Unbeknownst to Hubert her sigh was of relief and not of resignation.

"Unfortunately, yes." Byleth answered curtly, responding her unasked question. _Yes, I agree that it has to do with the confession she heard from Rhea._ Sothis agreed with them.

"They are mad to put the future Emperor of Adrestia on probation-." Hubert started protesting. His protest was cut short by Edelgard. "Do not worry, Hubert. This is not a bad outcome." Her voice a mere whisper.

"Understood." Hubert said raising an eyebrow still very upset. "You are on probation, Professor? Because of the incident with the advisor yesterday?" She asked her teacher. "Turns out he exaggerated things a bit, but yes. They will notify me my extra assignments soon." Byleth responded.

"It could be worse." She said. Hubert looked at her as if she had grown horns and a snout. "How so?" He asked critically. "He could have been fired." She stated simply moving her hand in Byleth's general direction. "And that would mean that either the Eagles would have to be split up into the two remaining Houses or we would have gotten another Professor. Like Sethet as an example."

"That would have been… suboptimal." Hubert agreed placing a hand on his chin. Byleth nodded. "Well, the punishment does not end there…" He said nonchalantly. "The Eagles will take less Church-relevant missions from now on." He looked at Edelgard. "Our next mission consists in routing bandits out of a merchant route to the monastery."

"Very well. A mission is a mission, and we will prevail." She said, conviction filling her voice. "With our ability to master difficult missions, this will be quite the change of pace for us." Hubert said.

"I agree." Byleth nodded while sitting on his desk ending the conversation. He started reading Hubert's report. As always it was extensive and detailed. He was halfway through it when the rest of his students arrived at the House room.

"Professor! It fills my noble heart to see you well." Ferdinand greeted him while smiling. "Yes, Professor. It has been lonely without you." Dorothea said waving Ferdinand off. "It brings me much relief to see you alive, Professor. Welcome to the back!" Petra said overjoyed.

"'Welcome back'" Lindhardt corrected her, but she was oblivious of the correction. "You gave us quite the scare back at the camp." He continued. "It is nice to see you healed and not glowing green. How did they manage?" He yawned his last question.

 _Glowing green?_ He was confused. _I might have had something to do with it._ Sothis said sheepishly. _I was trying to help from the inside. It seems I blocked any efforts from the outside._ All he could respond was: _I see._ Already forming plans in his mind to test the theory out. He would not let anything to chance ever again.

"Doesn't matter!" Caspar said to him. "What matter is that we can spar again to get better in battle!" He was throwing a punch to the air. "How unthoughtful of you." Lysithea responded. "Professor Manuela probably told him to rest." She sat down at her desk. "Good morning, Professor."

"Professor, I hope you are not mad at me!" Bernadetta said fearfully. "Why should I be angry at you?" Byleth asked confused. "Oh… You are mad at me. I knew it! Oh, Bernie… You are a mess." She lamented. Byleth threw a questioning look at Dorothea and Petra. They shrugged it off and sat down next to Bernadetta to console her and prevent her to retreat to her room.

 _Mental Note: Talk to Bernadetta._ He told himself. "Thank you all for your concern." He said with his usual emotionless face. "Now settle down, I have some announcements to share with you. We will have much to discuss later on." He said leaning against his desk.

Once his students settled down a few hands shot up. "If you do not mind, I will take the lead this time. I will answer your questions afterwards." He said raising his hands as a signal for them to wait.

"First of all, I wanted to apologize for my behavior on Saturday. I… received some personal news that I needed to process in reclusion." He said remembering what Sothis had suggested. "They must've been some hell of news by the way you were running away." Caspar interrupted.

"If you are needing assistance, we can help." Petra tried. Before anyone else could say anything, Byleth raised his hands once again to stop them. "I appreciate your concern, but the burden is now mine to bear." He said.

"But as equals, it is our noble duty to assist you in any way we can!" Ferdinand stood up leaning heavily into his desk. "I hate to say this, but I agree with Ferdie. We could share whatever burden you have." Dorothea said leaning back on her chair.

"Let the Professor be. If he wanted to tell us, he would have already." Lindhardt responded sleepily. "There is no need to be so nosy about it." He said before yawning once more. "How rude of you." Dorothea protested. "We are merely trying to help our dear Professor."

"That is enough." Edelgard's commanding voice said. "Just as Lindhardt pointed out already, whatever news he got is none of our business." She said pausing for a dramatic effect. No one dared to say a word, Ferdinand slowly sat back down on his chair.

"Thank you." Byleth nodded. "There is no need for you to be concerned." He said looking at them all n the eye, with the exception of Bernadetta, who avoided his gaze at all costs. "I promise you, once the time is right, I will divulge those news to you. But until then, I ask sincerely for your patience."

His students nodded slowly, some of them were not convinced at all. "I also need to apologize for my actions yesterday. As you might have heard in some ridiculous rumors, I had a fall out with Sethet."

"For those who witnessed it, I am sorry. To those who were not present I assure you that I did not grow horns or flew in the sky before landing again." He heard some chuckles and snickers. _Good._ Sothis said to him.

"Why did you react they way you reacted?" Lysithea asked. "I was outside of your room and saw how the advisor forcefully entered it. There were some unintelligible shouts and not soon after a very loud bang on the wall. Dust even came out of the brick wall!"

 _Did I use that much force?_ He wondered. _Yes…_ Sothis answered him. "The advisor was accusing me of something directly related to the news I received the day before." He sighed. "I will make no excuse of it, but I have to admit that I could not control my anger in that moment."

"And as a consequence of my actions, I am now on probation." He said. The reactions he got from his students were mostly of bewilderment. "No fair!" Caspar whined. "The measure is a bit extreme." Lindhardt seemed awake.

"I have accepted the punishment for my actions." He said finally. "There's nothing I can do now about it." He said shrugging his shoulders. "I imagine that we will be closely monitored as a House now." Hubert said.

"Correct. And we will have less Church related missions from now on." Byleth informed. Caspar whined again, while Petra and Lysithea looked crestfallen. "What a relief." Bernadetta said out loud. "I… I mean…" She said fearfully once some students turned to look at her reproachfully.

"Calm down." Byleth said. "It does not mean we will have no missions at all." He tried to reassure his eager students. "There is something else…" He started looking at Edelgard. She nodded and stood up.

"I have been also placed on probation." She said with as much authority she could muster. "Since I hijacked a Pegasus from a Knight, the Church has seen fit to punish me as well." She said. "Along with some detention time after class." The room was silent after that statement.

Byleth cleared his throat effectively drawing attention back to him again. "So, those were the announcements that I wanted to share with you." He turned to walk behind his desk. "Returning to class, we left off at chapter 18 of your books. Can anyone tell me what a 'Gambit' is?"

* * *

The school week was nearing its end. To Byleth's opinion they had been able to advance nicely through the chapter and a basic knowledge of a Gambit was delivered to his students. Next week, he would reserve the training grounds and show them visually what a Gambit should feel like.

Most of the Blue Lions students had left the Monastery on Wednesday for their mission. They were going to search the last remnants of the Western Church rebellion and gather more information. The Church provided them with instructions to search along the Teutates River for any clues.

The Golden Deer were outside the Monastery in the valley where the Mock Battle was celebrated a few months back. They were probably already preparing for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion.

He was about to dismiss his students when they heard a lot of footsteps rushing through the hall in front of the House room. There was an urgency to them that Byleth's curiosity was awakened. He walked slowly to the door to see what was all that about.

The door was forcefully opened and Knights of Seiros in full body armors and weapons barged in. A few steps behind Sethet entered the room. He was not his usual stoic and proud self. He seemed pale and there were droplets of sweat on his forehead. His eyes were full of panic.

Byleth stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow. " _Professor_ , have you seen Flayn recently?" The advisor asked, still resenting the younger man. "Not since yesterday's breakfast." Byleth answered after a few moments of consideration.

"What is the matter?" Byleth asked the advisor, who paled even more after hearing his answer. He started trembling uncontrollably, to the point that the professor had to support the man so he would not fall to the ground. "I cannot find her anywhere! I have searched every corner I can think of! I could not find her anywhere."

The Eagles were all looking alarmed. Edelgard had approached the two men standing in the middle of the room. She helped Byleth hold Sethet. "When did you see her for the las time?" She asked him, looking at the knights.

They were searching the entire room for the younger girl. Once they searched every inch, they left and continued searching elsewhere. Their footsteps were so loud that the Eagles did not notice that another person entered the room.

"Sethet! Anything?" Lady Rhea asked loudly, worry plastered on her face. "No, Lady Rhea." Sethet almost sobbed. "Please tell me you found anything." He begged the archbishop. She shook her head sadly.

"At present, all we know for certain is that she has not left Garreg Mach." She said sadly. "Flayn is not the type of person to just wander off on her own without telling me where she is going!" Sethet said while accepting a water flask from Ferdinand. The Eagles had all now approached their House leader and Professor.

"We have searched the monastery thoroughly, but have found nothing. I will have to mobilize the knights to begin searching the town." Sethet said after taking a sip of water. "There are troubling rumors that have been running rampant lately. I do not wish to consider the worst, but..." He said looking at the ground.

"Troubling rumors?" Byleth asked confused, not having heard of any rumors as of late. _The Church must have kept them quiet._ Sothis chimed in. _And they succeeded, it seems._ Byleth agreed with her.

"There are rumors of someone prowling the streets and attacking innocents, night after night." Rhea said before Sethet could say anything. "Your father and some of the knights are currently investigating the matter." She informed them. "As of yet, they have not discovered any remains, nor have they found any concrete evidence." She concluded while aiding Sethet to stand up.

"The people are panicked! They all insist someone called the Death Knight is coming to claim their souls with his blade. There is no way she could have escaped unscathed if she were captured by such a fiend! Where is she?!" His voice was of pure terror. Byleth almost felt bad for the man.

"Seteth, recall that impatience begets error. Please do your best to calm yourself." Lady Rhea reprimanded the man. Much like Sothis would reprimand him sometimes. _Hey!_ Sothis protested.

"I think of your...sister as family as well. You know that. You have my support. We will devote ourselves fully–mind, body, and soul–to recovering her." The archbishop continued. She then turned to look at Byleth and Edelgard.

"Please help us find Flayn. The knights have the town covered, so I ask that you focus your efforts on searching the monastery again. We do not have time to waste. You have your orders." She said in a commanding voice that made Byleth be disgusted.

But he nodded nonetheless. Once the bundle of nerves and the archbishop left the room, he turned to look at his students. "Any ideas where to begin?" He asked no one in particular. "This is unsettling." Hubert said with a sneer.

"It doesn't seem likely that she's simply gotten lost." Edelgard said thoughtfully. "Well then, let us hurry and locate her before anyone else!" Ferdinand said already walking past Hubert, who grabbed him by the hem of his shirt.

"I hope Flayn is OK! What would happen if... Just what would we do if..." Bernadetta choked out. "You can't think like that, Bern. Seteth would have a heart attack if he heard you." Dorothea tried to calm the younger student.

"I've heard that she has a Crest, but I suppose, for this moment, that is irrelevant." Lindhardt looked awake and alert. "Maybe not. But we can't rule it out just yet." Byleth said. "I propose that we start by gathering information. Someone must have seen Flayn recently." Hubert said looking at Edelgard.

She on the other hand was looking at her Professor. "Right. If we work together, I'm certain we'll find her." She looked so beautiful with that look of conviction on her face. Shame that it might be all a façade. _It is._ Sothis agreed with him.

"I suggest that we assume she was abducted. Who would benefit from her kidnapping?" _There it is. The hint we all needed._ Sothis said upset. _You need to talk to her about this._ She said to him. _I will._

"If Flayn has been taken hostage, then we know she is alive. At least for now. There would be no point to abducting her if simple murder was the objective." Hubert said following Edelgard's lead.

 **"** Reflecting on it now, Flayn has always seemed a rather odd person. She appears young, yet there's something about her that seems much older than her years suggest. And she's quite wise, but also surprisingly naive..." Lysithea said, and Byleth found himself agreeing with her.

 **"** Maybe she's lived a very sheltered life." He offered. "Hmm, you might be right. Whatever the case, Seteth seems to care for her more than anything." Lysithea said looking the way the advisor had left with the archbishop.

"A beautiful, delicate maiden vanishing into thin air... It is like something out of a book. If it were a book, we would have no need to worry! She would be rescued presently by a dashing nobleman." Ferdinand exclaimed earning a sigh of frustration of Dorothea, Hubert, Edelgard, Sothis and Byleth.

"Alas, this is not a book." Dorothea said smacking Ferdinand on his arm. "Stay focused." Byleth warned both of them. "I just recently learned she has a Crest. If it was a particularly rare Crest, I could imagine Professor Hanneman would have quite an intense interest in her." Every one was looking at Lindhardt in shock.

"Oh, no, I'm not accusing Professor Hanneman of abducting Flayn." He quickly added. "He left the monastery with the Lions last Wednesday morning." He said. "I had a conversation with Flayn on that same night in the library."

"I must have admittance. One person...has been catching my eye." Petra said standing tall. "Shamir is a knight not like other knights. Her movements are being reminders of...no, they remind me of warriors of Brigid. Before she was here, what was she getting up to..." She continued.

"We cannot leave any stones unturned." Byleth said altough he did not think that either Shamir or Hannemann had something to do with the kidnapping of Flayn. "Fawn out, follow your gut and investigate anything that catches you eye." He ordered. His sutdents nodded hurrying to the door.

"Edelgard, a word." The professor said calmly. "Alone." He added once he saw Hubert stand beside her. The princess nodded to his servant who reluctantly left the room. "Is there something the matter, my teacher?" She asked innocently.

"Silence." He wispered. "You know, well what I want to know." He said turning to his desk. He wanted to retrieve his sword and gear. He heard her sigh. "It is not my plan." Edelgard said dropping her mask for a second. "That is why I need to stop them." She added.

 _She is telling the truth._ Sothis said to him. He nodded. "Your _allies_ then." He said dissapointed. "Yes." Edelgard's voice matching his. "Why?" He asked her stepping in front of her. "Probably her blood." She said defeated.

"And before you ask, I do not know what they plan to do with it." She added. She tried to take his hand in hers, but Byleth took it away before she could. He heard Sothis scoff. "We have to find her." He took a few steps back.

Edelgard's expression was hurt. She sighed one more time before she visibly steeled herself. "That we must. There is no time to waste." She turned on her heels and left the room.

 _This is ridiculous. You want to be with her, you want to hold her hand and kiss her._ Sothis reprimanded him. _You are hurting yourself and you are hurting her._ She continued. _I know._ He simply said, walking to the door. _Then why do you keep insisting...?_

 _Because I do not think she will prevail with me at her side. After all I am a Church experiment. If her allies win in the end, then they will not let us live._ He explained camly. _If Hubert acted on his threat, then we are already a target._

 _You should clarify it with her. She must think that you don't love her anymore. That she destroyed the bond you two shared with the information she shared._ Sothis sighed. _Please promise me that you will fix things._ She pleaded with him. _And I thought that you would not care for her._ He shook his head. _I care for you._

Byleth had a feeling that he had to start his search by checking the library. He knwe that there was an enemy spy infiltrated there. He hurried but once he arrive he found nobody there. He stopped for a moment to scan the room.

Nothing seemed out of place. The books were neatly organized in their shelves. He walked slowly alongside them looking carefully for any kind of clue. He stopped in front of one of them. Something had caught his eye.

The shelf in front of him contained very old books. The kinds of books that never get borrowed and had been dusty for at least a decade. But there was one that had been moved recently. It still had the imprints of the fingers that had taken it out. It was almost innoticeable and it was very subtly hidden from first sight.

Byleth slid the book out carefully, deciding to check it before he dismissed the feeling forming in his gut. The title read 'Adrestian Empire: Ancient History'. The tome was heavy and old. He could see that the cover was once a rich red and gold but it had faded with the years that had passed.

Before he could inspect the content of it a loose sheet of paper fell down. Byleth knelt down on one knee to grab it and heard a light woody sound above him. Thinking nothing of it he stood up looking at the paper. It was blank.

He placed it again inside the book and turned to see if the shelf had any other indications on it. He was surprised by a very thin needle embedded to the wood of the shelf he had taken the book from. _Must have poison on it._ Sothis said. "Hm…"

He carefully took it out and placed it inside the book for safekeeping. He wanted to examine it later on. He walked out of the library book in hand. He needed to go deliver it to his room before anyone noticed it gone.

He was about to exit the second floor when he heard someone calling his name. "Hey, Professor, have you seen Manuela? I saw her running off somewhere in a terrible hurry. I wonder if it has anything to do with Flayn's disappearance." Dorothea said to him jogging to him worry plastered on her face.

He had to avert his gaze; the sight of her jogging to him in her normal uniform was... impressive. But this time for once, he did not think that she had done it on purpose. He cleared his throat. "You're on first-name terms with Professor Manuela?

"Oh, yes. Didn't you know? She was the senior diva in our Opera Company." She said looking around. "I cannot find her." She said frustrated. "You say that she was in a hurry?" Byleth asked. "Yes, she was running. I could not believe my eyes." Dorothea exclaimed.

"Running?" Byleth said surprised. She nodded. "Where was she headed?" He asked his student. "I thought she would be headed for the infirmary. But I was mistaken." She said shaking her head. "She had something in her hands. I could not see what tough."

"Where did you see her?" He asked her. "She was running from the direction of the training grounds to the reception hall..." She said thinking about it. Byleth nodded at her. "Can I trust you with something?" He asked her.

She looked surprised. "Anything, Professor. I am surprised that you even need to ask!" She said getting angry. "Would you deliver this to my room? Please be very careful with it, there is a needle inside that might contain poison." He instructed her.

"Of course. What is this anyway?" She looked at the book. "That is something I still need to find out. Do not show it to anyone." He said. "When you are done delivering it, go search for the rest of the Eagles ant tell them to gear up just in case. Meet me in our House room." Byleth ordered while walking to the stair to the first floor.

"Gear up? Do you think we will be fighting the Death Knight again?" She asked concerned. "If my gut feeling is right, then yes." He said before speeding as fast as his legs could carry him to the training grounds.

Once there, he saw only one lonely person training by his own. Felix, a young swordsman with dark blue hair and brown eyes, was destroying one of the training dummies with his training sword. Byleth took a moment to see the student's technique.

For the most part, the young man slashed the dummy with precision and deadly accuracy. He did not waste any effort in unnecessary movements. HIs foot work could be better, but the young man handled his weapon nicely.

"Are you going to stare all day, or do you want to spar?" He asked the young Professor. _He is perceptive too._ Sothis mused. "Actually, I was looking for Flayn." Byleth said. "Why are you not searching, too?" He asked the student.

"Not my mission and I need to keep my reflexes sharp." The student said approaching the Professor. "We have never spared against each other, and since Jeritza seems to have vanished out of thin air..." The student raised his blade and took position.

"Not here to spar, Felix." He said. A split second later the student launched an attack in his way. Byleth moved away again and again as the student tried to land a hit on him. After a few more slashes, Byleth decided to disarm the student and stop this one-sided sparing session.

He waited patiently for his chance. He dodged the student's attack by stepping into his personal space. The then waited to see what the student would do and landed a clean hit with his fist against the enemy's forearm. As predicted, the student released the training sword.

Byleth then kicked the student's supporting leg throwing him off balance. He pushed his chest effectively sending the student to the ground. He landed with a heavy 'thud' and scrambled to get his sword. Byleth merely kicked the sword out of reach and the session was over.

"You are good. But you have to work harder on your foot work." Byleth offered him an arm to help him up. Felix accepted it. "I would appreciate if you were the one to train me." Felix said nonchalantly.

"My priority is to train the Eagles." Byleth responded. "Then let me join the Eagles." Felix insisted. "Tell you what. I will consider transferring you to the Eagles if you help us find Flayn." Byleth offered.

"Deal." The student said with conviction. "I didn't think that you would agree at all." Byleth said raising an eyebrow. "I have been benched from the current mission, just because the old boar did not want me in it." Felix explained.

"The boar?" The professor asked confused. "Ah, yes. You are not familiar with the nickname." Felix eyed him. "You really only focus on the Eagles. I meant Dimitri." The student crossed his arms. "Dimitri benched you. Why?" The professor was curious.

"A tale for another time." Felix said uncrossing his arms. "Now, how can I help?" He continued. "When was the last time you saw Jeritza?" The professor nodded. "Today morning, we were sparing." The student answered.

"I do have suspicions about Jeritza. There's something about how he's handling his blade lately. It seems more...impulsive than usual." Felix offered. "And Manuela?" Byleth asked. "She came in for a short bit. I did not put much attention on what she was doing." The student shrugged.

"She left in a hurry." He concluded after he tought for a moment. Byleth nodded. "Gear up. Meet me at the Eagles House room." He turned to leave. "Have you figured something out?" the student called back. "Maybe."

Byleth hurried to his room. He needed to put his gear on and head to his house room. He found his father sitting on his chair. "Dad, I thought you were in the village gathering information." Byleth said to him.

"Because of Flayn's disappearance, all of the knights are searching nonstop. But we haven't found a single lead." He sighed while standing up. "Seteth's face is getting paler by the minute. It's hard to watch." He continued while watching his son strip to put his armor on.

"You seem to have a lead. Mind sharing it with me?" He asked. "Just a gut feeling. I think Manuela is involved in this mess." Byeth informed. "What's that? Manuela? Well, I did pass by her earlier. She was carrying something. A mask of some sort..." Jeralt said putting a hand to rub his chin.

Byleth stopped in his tracks. "Jeritza's mask?" He asked his father. "I'm not close to the guy, so I can't say for sure. But come to think of it, you could be right." Byleth hummed to himself. "Where is Jeritza's room?" Byleth asked his father.

"Three doors from my room by the knight's hall." Jeralt said narrowing his eyes. "You figured it out." He said. "I might. It would be good to call the Knights back." The young man said. "Will do, be careful." Jeralt hurried to exit the room.

Byleth finished gearing up and was about to exit the room when he remembered to look for the book he had fished out of the library. Sure enough, it was on his desk. _Good._ He thought. He exited his room and made his way to his House room.

Most of his students were there, including Felix who was leaning on the far wall geared up and ready. He nodded at him. "I might be wrong, but I have found out that Manuela and Jeritza have been missing too." He said loudly.

Everyone was looking at him. "We know that Manuela was not in her room near the infirmary." He looked at Dorothea, who nodded in agreement. "And Jeritza has not been seen since today morning." Byleth looked at Felix.

"I would like to head out to look a-" He started but he was interrupted by Caspar who came in in a hurry. "Everyone, hurry! I heard a scream from Professor Jeritza's room!" Byleth was the first one in motion, closely followed by Caspar and Edelgard.

"Be alert!" Byleth shouted orders while running. "We do not want to be surprised by anything." He said. Once they arrived to Jeritza's room, they found it locked. "I say we barge in." Caspar said already taking a few steps back to force the door open.

"No! What if we hurt Professor Manuela?" Dorothea stepped in front of him. "She is right. We need to be smart about our approach." Edelgard said. "Hubert, can you melt the lock from inside?" She asked her servant who nodded readily.

After a few tensed minutes, the door opened ajar. The sight was disturbing. The furniture was tossed and partially broken. Everything was at a state of disarray, clothes tossed out and broken glass on the floor. Byleth entered first, the Sword of the Creator in his hand. There was a garderobe blocking their path.

He walked slowly in looking around. He stepped into something sticky. He looked down and saw blood. He sheathed his sword and lifted the wooden garderobe that blocked his way. It was heavier than he thought. "Help me." He said to no one in particular.

"Mind your step." He said once he saw Ferdinand and Felix come to his aid to lift the heavy piece of furniture. They placed it aside and once the view was free, he heard Dorothea gasp and rush into the room. Byleth turned to see what had upset his student.

"Manuela!" He herd her exclaim. "Is she...dead?" Byelth asked fearing the worst. "No, she's unconscious. Someone clearly attacked her." She said feeling the pulse on the professor´s neck. "Look at her hand. It looks as though she is pointing at something... There."

They all looked in that direction. There was a shelf that had been recently moved. Edelgard approached it carefully. "There's an opening behind that shelf. Perhaps a secret passageway..."

"What is the meaning of... Wait, is that Manuela? What happened here?" A knight arrived at the entrance of the room. "We know as much as you do. She needs to be taken to the infirmary." Edelgard said commandingly.

"Yes, of course–and quickly. Give me a hand, will ya." The knight said moving to gingerly pick Manuela up. "Understood. I will support her head. Professor, I will be back shortly. Please be careful." She pleaded.

She seemed unhappy of the situation; she clearly was concerned of what they would find inside the passageway. Byleth nodded. "I will take care of them." He told her.

Once Edelgard exited the room Caspar and Ferdinand moved the shelf, revealing a large manmade passageway. "Does this mean Professor Jeritza did it? Could he also have kidnapped Flayn?!" Caspar exclaimed.

"Do you have a torch on you?" Byleth asked his students. Petra nodded and handed hers to him. Byleth stepped inside after lighting it up and looked at the structure of the passageway. It seemed old and it stank that way too. "We should start by investigating this passageway. Do you agree, Professor?" Hubert stood behind him.

"Yes, let us investigate." Byleth said to them and stepped further into the passageway holding the torch in one hand and his sword in the other one. "That settles it! We'll take the offensive. Here we come, you monsters!" Caspar shouted.

"One more shout Caspar, and I will personally deliver you to the Death Knight." Dorothea hushed him. Byleth stopped. "Silence is key. And discipline too. You will follow my lead." He told them all sternly specially looking at Caspar and Ferdinand.

"If we are up against the Death Knight, we will have to function as a unit." He said turning around to walk the passageway again. "Did you understand?" He asked them. Byleth smiled once he heard a murmured few 'Yes, Professor'

"Petra, if anything happens to me during the mission, you will take the lead." Byleth said. "Do not try to be a hero, get them all out of here." Byleth instructed her. "I will do my best, Professor. You have my promise." Petra bowed slightly.

Byleth heard scoffs from Ferdinand and Hubert but he decided to ignore them. _Careful, my friend._ Sothis said to him. _I will. Please have the Divine pulses ready._ He answered. _Already ahead of you._ She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear your comments.
> 
> Until next time & Stay safe.


	11. White Clouds - Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!
> 
> I must apologize with you all. I got sick (not Corona Virus) and was unable to finish this earlier. I am fine now, so no need to worry.
> 
> As an apology, I made the chapter about 1k words longer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> On another note: I have changed the rating to M due to very graphic descriptions of violence I incorporated in this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 10)**

**_Flashback_ **

_Byleth had decided that he needed to cool off from the events earlier that day. A cold mountain water shower would help just perfectly. Maybe, just maybe, it would help clear his head. He had come to realize that his actions to Sethet's provocations were maybe too rash._

They were rash. _Sothis informed him._ Yes. But what would you have me do in that situation? You know I was not thinking on the possible consequences. _He was not making excuses. She knew it because he could feel her compassion for him._

Any chance we could use a Divine Pulse to change the outcome? _He tried half-heartedly._ You know I would have suggested I already. _She answered with a sigh._ You will be lucky if you do not get fired. _She said sternly._ I know. _Byleth answered._

 _He had reached the student's showers. Since his quarters were for some reason in direct proximity to the student's, the nearest bathroom was that one._ Come to think of it, why did the Church give you those quarters? Did the last Professor also reside in them? _Sothis wondered._

 _He chuckled internally._ Is that what you are worried about? _He asked._ I do not mind. It is better compared to the mercenary times. _He said while finding an empty shower in the men's bathroom._ How so? _Sothis said curious._

Well, if you really need to know… We slept mostly on the dirty ground. Usually, we only had rivers or creeks to wash ourselves. Men and women would wash themselves without any privacy or inhibitions. _He explained to her while stepping into one of the closed shower cubicles._

Wait, you mean to tell me that you would undress in front of everyone to wash yourself in a river? _Sothis giggled._ No wonder you had no problem undressing in front of your princess back in the forest. _She said. Byleth stopped what he was doing._ Maybe, but the situation was another. _He defended himself, but he could not hide the slight blush on his cheeks._

Cold water should help with that. _Sothis giggled again._ It should be you who should take a cold shower. _Byleth mused while washing himself._ Huh? _Sothis smirked. He ignored it for a moment. Sensing his discomfort, she apparently decided to tease him further._ Did you take advantage of your river baths?

 _Byleth stopped again._ I do not see why that is relevant in any way. _He answered her in disbelief._ You seem bored… _He said._ Nah. I just love to tease you. _She answered waving him off._ Please stop. _He begged. She laughed and retreated from his mind._

_He finished washing himself and proceeded to dry and clothe himself. He walked out of the baths, to find that every student that he passed by was either scared or looked at him with utter caution. He sighed. He knew that the reason was the gossip. He could imagine what the students would have come up with._

_Once_ _he_ _returned to his room_ _,_ _he tried to shrug it off but found himself really bothered by it. He tried to focus on the meeting he was supposed to go. He thought that Edelgard would need more time to meet with him like that._

_It all seemed all too… convenient. It left an uneasy feeling in his gut._

* * *

_The tower was just as old as the rest of the monastery, but for some reason it was not as well kept as the rest of it. Behind the tower grew a massive tree, its branches had managed to break the glass of the once elaborate windowpane that adorned the tower. Inside, the steps were uneven, and stone lay loose due to the natural erosion over the last hundreds years. It was the perfect example how nature reclaimed its space over time._

_The tower was not lit up, having been unused for a long time. This meant that Byleth had to be very careful climbing up the stairs. He slipped once or twice, but he managed to get to the top on time for his meeting._

_The first thing he saw, was the beautiful view from the balcony. The village on the foot of the monastery was lit up and seemed as lively as it was by daylight. The peace the place brought him was incredible. It seemed that the tower just inspired the people who visited it to take a deep breath and enjoy the peace and quiet._

_This feeling did not last long tough. He felt a presence looming from the shadows. "Goodnight, Hubert. I should have known that you changed the time of the meeting today." Byleth said out loud. "_ _It seems I am discovered. I suppose that means assassination is out of the question. At least for now._ _" Hubert said calmly._

" _Assassination?_ _" Byleth raised his brow curious. "What are you doing here?" He added dismissing the previous comment._ _"_ _Merely keeping an eye on you, for the moment._ _" Hubert answered innocently._

_The notion of his student being innocent sent chills down his spine. "_ _Nothing to be concerned over._ _" His student smiled at him. "_ _Unusually watchful—difficult to steal upon in slumber. Perhaps an odorless, tasteless poison..._ _" This statement was made loud enough for the professor to hear. Byleth just raise his eyebrow once more._

" _Lady Edelgard certainly took interest in a difficult one this time._ _" Hubert continued as if he had said nothing threatening at all. "_ _Why_ _have_ _you_ _been_ _following me?_ _" Byleth crossed his arms in front of him. "_ _I suppose that question does warrant a response, considering it may mean your life. The answer requires me to explain some of the complex internal politics of the Empire._ _" Hubert approached him slowly. His arms clapped behind his back._

_He paused for a minute as if searching or the correct words. "_ _Are you familiar with Volkhard von Arundel?_ _" Byleth shook his head. "Figures…_ _He is Lady Edelgard's uncle. You may also know him as Lord Arundel, the Empire's Regent._ _" He looked at Byleth expectantly. Seeing that the professor stood there stoically, he decided to continue._

" _Many years ago, he took Her Majesty and fled to the Kingdom of Faerghus. Then, after a time, he returned to seize power._ _" Hubert continued. "He j_ _oin_ _ed_ _forces with Prime Minister Aegir and my father_ _." Hubert shook his head in disgust._ _"_ _Lord Arundel rendered Emperor Ionius IX...politically impotent. Lady Edelgard is Ionius IX's daughter._ _" He said as if connecting the dots together for him. "_ _I cannot begin to fathom the depth of her sadness at his betrayal._ _" He said looking at the distance._

" _I see something of Lord Arundel in you...When I look at you, I feel I can almost see a second self, lurking beneath the surface._ _" Hubert watched him carefully after that statement. He was searching for a reaction from the professor._ _"_ _It is as if you are in constant dialogue with something inside your heart—something with desires very different from your own._ _"_

" _Does that description feel familiar to you at all?_ _" Hubert asked with a creepy smile. Byleth resisted the urge to look down at his feet. Instead, he forced himself to look at his student square in the eye. "_ _Because to me you seem unpredictable. As though you could turn traitor at any moment._ _" He added as and afterthought._

" _No, not familiar at all._ _" Byleth was not lying. Sothis and himself were mostly on the same page. It was not as if Sothis would impose him with her own ideas. It was clearly not the answer that Hubert had expected. "_ _The more I learn about you, the less I like._ _" He said with a sneer._

" _I had thought you might be of some use to Lady Edelgard. But now I am beginning to think you may, through no fault of your own, present too great a risk._ _" He said already leaving the tower. "How so?" Byleth asked him not expecting an answer._

" _I am not the only one that has noticed Her Majesty's… infatuation towards you." Hubert said looking back. "There are more powerful enemies hidden in the shadows, enemies that had already put a price on your head." He left without saying anything else. The last statement was a punch to Byleth's gut._

Am I endangering myself? Or what is worse, am I endangering her?

* * *

 _This is no time to be remembering that!_ Sothis practically shouted in his ear. _Focus, please._ She said exasperated. _Sorry._ He told her. He tried to focus but images of that day just kept appearing in his mind. He shook his head to direct his attention on the tunnel ahead.

It took them deep underground. The decline was not steep, but it was noticeable. The walls were built like the rest of the monastery. Bricks made of solid rock but without maintenance, they had eroded and some of them had fallen out.

Byleth could even distinguish some thin roots of plants coming out of the slits between the rocks. It made him wonder what kind of plants could grow roots so deep underground. _Or maybe, we are not so deep under as we thought, and all this is an illusion._ Sothis offered.

 _Could be. I was thinking, what if this was forgotten escape way out of the monastery._ He mentioned. _We would still have the feeling of going deep underground while staying high enough for roots to grow._ She agreed with him.

"Professor, I want to be asking you a question." Petra asked in a hushed tone walking beside him. "Your questions are always welcome." He answered matching her tone. "You have my gratitude." She nodded. "Why have you trusted me the leader role?"

"I am surprised by your question. You have worked hard. I did not miss that." Byleth answered. "I see. My hard work has prevailed." She smiled at him. For a second he looked at her. She had a proud expression planted on her face. Byleth could not help but to smile himself.

A second later a metallic sound clanked ahead. Byleth readied himself sword already in hand. He motioned his students to be ready. Many of them were already holding weapons in their hands. They all advanced as quietly they could.

The mood was tense. They all were focused on the tunnel which slowly got wider and wider. It now had enough space to fit four persons beside each other and still have place to move comfortably. They could literally see the end of the tunnel. The room beyond was lit.

Byleth stopped to put out the torch. He placed it against the wall, they might need it later. "Be ready and step carefully." He ordered his students while stepping forward. He approached the entrance carefully. There were stairs leading down to a massive chamber. It was divided with walls high enough for a person no to be able to climb it, but hey were not covered with a ceiling.

Like in the mausoleum, Byleth noted that there were contraptions of some kind on the ground. But these looked different. He also saw that there was at least one healing floor and some levers of some kind. He wondered what this chamber was built for.

"I would have never imagined…" Hubert mused beside him. "Hm… I think I see someone." He said pointing at the middle of the chamber. Byleth was not sure, but he thought that Hubert looked genuinely surprised. "Is it Flayn?" The professor asked him trying to find what his student was looking at.

"Yes. And there is someone else." He said squinting his eyes. He tried to mask a gasp. "It appears to be another student." Byleth had finally found what his student pointed out. It difficult to distinguish at first glance. _Either your student is very observant, or he knew where to look._ Sothis said critically.

Byleth hummed in response. "Someone is coming from farther in!" Caspar exclaimed loudly. _There goes our cover…_ Sothis sighed. True enough Byleth could hear a sound of metallic steps approaching. He knew who it was before his student continued. "I recognize that scythe and mask… It is that jerk we fought at the Holy Mausoleum!"

"Hush, you oaf." Dorothea prompted him. "Besides, YOU did not fight him." She added as an afterthought. Byleth shook his head looking at the Death Knight approaching the chamber in the middle. "Can I go home now?" Bernadetta whimpered behind them.

"You are being ridiculous." Felix answered. "Such worthy foes don't come often your way and you want to go home?" Bernadetta whimpered again. "Oh, Bernie, now you have done it. He is going to kill you."

"Quietness is key!" Petra said raising her voice a bit, defeating her own purpose. But it did quiet down any conversation that was developing. "Focus." Byleth added. It seemed that the Death Knight had already spotted them as he looked directly at them.

"That sword. You must be…" The Death Knight responded with his eerie, distorted, and deep metallic voice. Its horned metallic mask reflected the light in a way that it seemed to be on flames. It only accentuated his glowing red eyes.

"We have a job to do." He continued addressing the dark clothed soldiers and mages around him. "Close the gates." He continued giving orders. "You there! Hold them off as long as you can." He continued. "Extract the material and do it fast." He concluded. He said it so casually, it made Byleth's skin bump.

There was a buzz of movement as archers, mages and men-at-arms spread out to defend the chamber. "Damn it." Byleth said hurrying down the stairs, his students following suit. By the time they were down, the gates had closed, and the Death Knight's troops positioned.

He was thinking fast to come up with a strategy. "Alright Eagles." Felix scoffed as he was technically not an Eagle yet. "We will have to fight our way in." He said cmommandingly. "We will march forward, stay close." He finished but before he could move, Lindhardt spoke up. "Why don't we use the wrap floors? It may take us farther in than we think." He looked alert. "Not a bad idea, Professor." Hubert said looking at the closest one.

Byleth wished that Edelgard was here. He wanted to convene with her if it was a good course of action. But since she was taking care of Manuela and her loyal servant, who may or may not know the layout of this chamber, had suggested it he considered it.

 _Sothis, could you accompany the students that take the other path? Be my eyes and ears?_ He asked her before he would give his final decision. _It can be done, but it may cut a few Divine Pulses short_. She said considering. _How many would we have left?_ He asked. _Three at a maximum._

 _It is a risk. But it must be enough._ He nodded. "Petra, you will lead the squad that goes that way." He pointed to the teleportation floor. "Ferdinand, Felix, Dorothea and Lysithea will accompany you." He looked at Petra. "Do you have a bow and arrows?" He asked her.

"Yes, I am always ready for hunting." She smiled at him pulling a bow out of her metal armor. It was wooden and had unintelligible markings and symbols carved on it. At the end of it, there was a string attached. The color of it matched the markings on his student´s face.

"Good." He nodded at her. "Then go. And be careful. If you find any trouble you come back, understood?" He looked at them sternly. "I have understanding, Professor." Petra said moving forward and disappearing once she triggered the tile. _Sothis._ He said urgently. _On it._ She had already manifested herself beside him and was ascending to the roof to have a better view of the chamber. "The rest of you, follow my lead." He said moving to the other direction.

The sensation of Sothis' energy leaving his body was strange. Never had they attempted a stunt like this. _Found them._ She informed him. _They only jumped to the other side of the wall. There only one lone axe soldier with heavy armor waiting for them._

 _Do I need to worry?_ He asked. There were six foes in front of his troop. He could not see what weapons they had, but he guessed that at least two of them had bows. There was a flash of red and orange light coming from behind him. _No. The young white-haired one has taken care of him rather quickly._ Sothis informed him.

Byleth stepped in front of his group putting himself in range as bait for the archers. His students took position behind him. Just as Byleth had foreseen, the archers engaged him, trying to stop him from advancing further. He deflected an arrow with his sword and dodged the others. _Three archers._ Sothis informed him.

He continued dodging arrows, giving Hubert, Caspar, and Dorothea a chance to spot the foes and take them out. Hubert, being their group's best mage took the archer furthest away from them out. Dorothea defeated the one in the middle leaving Caspar fight with the nearest one with his axe.

It took him a minute, as he had to dodge a few arrows shot his way, but he managed to prevail unharmed. Byleth had moved forward and engaged a foe holding a spear. He was not very practiced with it and made quick work of him. The two remaining enemies retreated to guard the closed gate.

 _There is an archer on the other side of the wall that is aiming at your students._ Sothis informed him. _How is he able to see them?_ He asked alarmed. _The wall appears to have some sort of window in it._ She informed. _The archer has made a misstep making a lot of sound. The foreign one has heard him and advised her comrades to be ready._ Byleth sighed relieved. _They are going to be fine._ Sothis told him.

 _They are now teleporting through their second floor._ She informed searching where they had arrived. _Well, the archer had no chance against them._ She said dismissively. _Nothing to worry about. They have looted a key that should open the gate before them. On the other side of it there is another archer, unaware of his soon demise. No more foes after that._ She said almost bored.

Byleth was now focusing on the remaining two opponents in front of them. A spearman and a swordsman. He gave Bernadetta and Hubert a sign to engage each one of them to give Caspar and himself enough time to finish them off.

Just as the arrow and spell were fired both ran at full speed to reach their opponents. With a quick wrist flick the sword of the creator turned to a whip. Byleth used his momentum to crash down the full force of the sword down to the poor spearman that was distracted by Hubert's spell.

Caspar had also defeated his foe with ease. Bernadetta had managed to land an arrow on his leg rending the swordsman unable to fight. "These are not trained soldiers. How disappointing." Hubert said searching for a key to open the gate. "It is strange. Just like the incident in the Mausoleum." Lindhardt agreed with him.

"Found a key." Caspar said loudly. "You should learn how to be quiet. How bothersome." Lindhardt pointed out. Caspar ignored the comment and went to see if the key would fit the door. Once he turned it, it made a metallic clank and opened by itself.

They were met by a shower of arrows and spells. Byleth ducked avoiding some of the spells but he felt an arrow embed itself on his right tight. He looked around Caspar was lying on the floor crying in pain as a fire spell had hit him square on his metal chest-plate. The plate was red-hot.

Hubert had managed to avoid serious damage but was cornered on the side of the door unable to counterattack. Lindhardt was trying to get to Caspar but their enemies had not ceased fire yet. Byleth could not see Bernadetta anywhere.

 _Damn it! Sothis! I need to use a Divine Pulse!_ He said urgently in his mind. _So, I see, get ready._ Byleth nodded wishing she would hurry. A second later he felt the familiar feeling of being pulled backwards. He felt his limbs retrace his previous movements this time backwards. He felt the arrow in his tight detach itself from him and his wound heal immediately.

Byleth could see Caspar going upwards and the spell reversed form his chest-plate. He saw that Bernadetta had achieved great speed and was now coming out of her hiding place behind a column. And he saw Hubert and Lindhardt jumping backwards from their attempt to save themselves.

 _It is all very comical to see._ Sothis said amused. _Very unnatural._ She added. _I hope you are enjoying the show. Take us back just before Caspar found the key, please._ He said smiling at her amusement. _Alright, be ready._ She complied. Time stopped for a second. He was standing in the middle of the room, Caspar and Hubert were looting their fallen enemies.

As time resumed, there was a little aftermath to the Divine Pulse. Caspar rubbed his chest absentmindedly, Hubert dusted himself off for no apparent reason, Lindhardt's eyes were now alert and Bernadetta took a step towards the column she had fled to.

 _Curious._ He mused. _Indeed._ Sothis said. _How many do we have left?_ He asked his companion. _Being your eyes and ears is taking a lot of energy. I am already feeling sleepy._ She said trying to suppress a yawn. _One for sure, two if you hurry and reunite with this group._

"Found a key." Caspar said loudly. "You should learn how to be quiet. How bothersome." Lindhardt pointed out. Caspar ignored the comment but before he could reach his destination Byleth stepped in. "We do not know what is behind this door." He said holding Caspar's wrist.

"Better be ready. Hubert and Bernadetta, please take place behind those columns. Snipe anyone who comes near that door. If you could give me a count of enemies, I would be grateful." He motioned the two columns he meant.

 _There are two mages and three archers. One axeman and one spearman._ Sothis helped him out. _Thanks, Sothis._ "Caspar you take the left side of the door, I will take the right one. Be silent." He warned the student. "Lindhardt, stay close to Caspar. If you need to, switch to offensive mode."

Byleth placed the key inside the lock and once his students were in position, he turned it hurrying out of the rain of arrows and spells that were fired. Byleth noted that the mages who fired at them were either very new to their trade, or they were far away from the gate, because the spells did not even reach the columns where his students were counterattacking.

The professor watched as Bernadetta and Hubert released their own storm of spells and arrows at the enemy. It did the trick because a few moments later they stopped. Hubert motioned that on his side there were two foes, while Bernadetta only held up one finger. "Smoke." He told Hubert who nodded and fired a very powerful fire spell to an unknown source of burning material.

The gate was in no time covered with thick black smoke. It reeked of burned meat. Byleth realized that the burning material was the corpse of at least one fallen enemy. His stomach churned but he nodded to Caspar and moved as quickly as they could through the gate. They ran again at full speed and ambushed in the cover of the smoke at least one enemy each.

Lindhardt was not far behind them firing spells at approaching enemies. His face looked green. Hubert seemed unfazed by the stench as he moved forward also firing spells. Poor Bernadetta followed suit but at the sight of the burning corpse and the foul odor, she could not keep the contents of her stomach to herself.

Byleth opted to look away and search for an enemy to fight with. He found one. It was the axeman. The sight of the emotionless faced man coming out of the smoke, a red glowing sword in his hand impressed the man so much, that his previously disgusted greenish face was completely drained of color.

The terrified man still tried bravely to fight him, but he soon lost. "D-De-mon…" was the last thing he ever said again. That word helped Byleth to realize how terrified the foe must have been but there was not time to ponder on it, he was on a mission. He heard a sound on his left. He moved quickly, turning his body.

A blade passed by harmlessly. "That was your only chance." Byleth told his attacker. Using the momentum of his own dodge, he planted his feet firm on the ground and thrusted his sword diagonally into the enemy's chest. He took a step forward and edged his sword downwards to get his sword free, using gravity to his advantage to save his energy.

 _This group has found a lever. They are about to pull it to see what it does._ Sothis informed them. _How are they doing?_ He asked while surveying his side of the battlefield. He could not see any more enemies. Lindhardt was in front of the now charred corpse and using a ward spell to stop the smoke from spreading.

 _They are fine. The foreign one is sniping enemies from her side of the wall. It is amazing to watch._ Sothis was truly amazed at Petra's abilities. _If it does not work out with your princess, you could always try with this one._ Sothis mused. _Focus, please._ Byleth begged her. The statement made him very uncomfortable.

 _Alright, alright. The orange-head and the new guy used their force to pull the lever. It seems heavy so now they are reaching the end of it._ She informed him. Just a second later, a teleportation floor lit up.

"Hey! Found another key!" Caspar yelled. Just like before, he went to the closed gate and opened it. As luck would have it, there was a single axeman guarding that part of the chamber. Caspar and Hubert took care of him and came back quickly.

"That wrap floor just lit up." The professor informed his students. "I will go in first, wait for a bit before entering yourself." Byleth commanded. He stepped forward into the tile. The feeling of teleporting away was disconcerting. As is every cell of his body had separated for a second just to be assembled on another room.

"Ugh." Was all he could say before he had to use his sword to deflect a blade aimed at his neck. He heard a gasp. "I am sorrow… no, I am sorry, Professor." Petra said lowering her sword. "It is alright, Petra."

Byleth moved forward and inspected the room. In that moment he felt Sothis' energy return to him. It caught him by surprise. He stumbled to the side. "Do you have injury, Professor?!" Petra asked him alarmed.

"No. Teleportation did not agree with me." He waved her off. "Where are the others?" He asked her. "Lysithea is being guard to the entrance we were coming from, Felix, Dorothea and Ferdinand are trying the wrap floors over there." She said pointing the barely visible floors on the far end of the room. "They were wanting to see what path would be leading us to the Death Knight."

Byleth could see the logic of it all, and Sothis would have warned him if his students were in danger, but the course of action was incredibly stupid. "You should have waited for reinforcements." He said sternly. "They could have walked right into a trap." He said to her.

"I am agreeing with you, Professor. But the faster we are scouting, the faster we are saving Flayn." She defended her point. "On the side… No, besides. Felix, Dorothea and Ferdinand agreed to return if they were being ambushed."

There was a flash of light behind him. One by one his students entered the room. First came Bernadetta, then Lindhardt then Hubert and last to arrive was Caspar. "What a remarkable experience that was." Lindhardt said enthusiastically.

"Then you are not in agreeing with the Professor." Petra answered cheerfully. "Showing weakness, Professor?" Hubert sneered. "How unusual of you." He said before Byleth had time to answer.

 _How rude of him._ Sothis huffed indignantly. "Hmm." Byleth answered both. "Caspar, would you please use that wrap floor to go search your classmate?" He said pointing to one of the floors that Petra had mentioned. "Petra, you will take the other one. Find your classmates and bring them back."

Caspar and Petra nodded and set off to the wrap floors. Just as they were about to step in, there was a flash of light and one of the missing students appeared before them. Byleth sighed relieved. "Professor, you have arrived!" Dorothea clapped her hands in front of her.

"I found this ring, I do not have use for it, so here." She said approaching him. She gave him an old looking ring while winking at him. "That is a March ring. Those are incredibly rare." Lindhardt said eyeing the ring in his hand. Byleth pocketed it ignoring the comment.

"Alright, one here. Two are still missing." He said sighing. "Petra, Caspar. Take the two remaining wrap floors to see where your missing peers are at." He continued talking. Caspar moved first taking the closest of them and disappearing a second later. Petra followed suit using the other one.

"There are two remaining wrap floors to be tested." Byleth said to his students. "Shouldn't we wait until the others get back?" Bernadetta said shakily. "I wish we could, Bernadetta." The young professor said as gentle as he could. His student still flinched at the mention of her name.

"I volunteer!" Lysithea said from behind him. He turned around and nodded at her. "I need someone to accompany you." He said to her. "I'll go." Hubert said darkly. "Alright. You will take this wrap floor on the right. If you find trouble, then return immediately." Byleth said sternly.

While the female student nodded, the male one just sneered. He moved towards the floor, almost shoving Lysithea aside to step in first. This of course infuriated the young girl who stepped angrily into the wrap floor behind him.

 _Oh boy…_ He mused in his head. A flash of light caught his attention. Petra and Ferdinand were back. "Professor. It is my noble duty to hand this over to to you." Ferdinand said once he handed the looted Levin Sword to his professor. "I was told that you were not too happy about our course of action?" He asked. "I do apologize, it was my idea."

"Do not push it, Ferdinand." Byleth said pinching his nose. "We will talk about this later." Soon after there was another flash of light. Felix appeared looking angry. There was another flash of light signaling Caspar's arrival. "I did not need back up." Felix said nonchalantly. "But you needed help. That lever was heavy." Caspar grinned at him foolishly.

"Settle down." Byleth raised his voice. "Felix, if you are going to be on the Black Eagles after this mission, then you will have to learn that we are a unit." He said sternly, his patience was wearing thin again. "We do not go solo, trying to be the hero of the story." He took a few steps towards the Lion.

The student took two involuntary steps back. Realizing his mistake, he took two steps forwards again. But Byleth had already moved on. "I will step into this wrap floor. I need a volunteer to come with me." He said looking at his students. Ferdinand's spear shot up first, followed by Caspar's axe and Petra's sword.

"Ferdinand." Byleth nodded to him, earning a whine from Caspar. "Petra, I need you to wait for Hubert and Lysithea." He ordered. "Caspar will wait with you." He ordered. "Depending on what they found out, you will start sending back-up to the correct wrap floor." He concluded his orders. "I have understanding, Professor."

Byleth nodded once more before stepping into the wrap floor. Once he materialized on the other side, he stepped forward, weapon in hand. A flash of light behind him signaled him that Ferdinand was close behind. They did not have much time to regroup. The enemy had been waiting for them.

Byleth avoided an attack from a heavy armored axeman. The man was slow due to his armor and Byleth intended to use it to the best of his ability. He positioned himself close to his foe, letting it appear that he had misstepped. Sure, enough the axe man raised his weapon high above his head.

That move was the man's demise. Without any hesitation, Byleth used his speed to thrust his sword with both hands as hard as he could into the man's armpit, where the armor did not protect his body. His sword pierced effortlessly into the man's heart. The downside to that strategy, was that blood splashed all over himself and that the axeman managed to connect his heavy armored elbow to his left shoulder, leaving it tingling and limp.

Byleth stepped aside, releasing his sword from the man's body, and barely blocking an attack directed to his student's back. He managed to deflect the spear with a mighty slash towards one of the enemy's comrades. The spearman looked surprised and did not retract his spear on time, striking his ally in the chest. The attack killed the other man almost instantly.

While the spearman stared at his fallen comrade incredulously, Byleth had stepped in to end his existence. He glanced at where Ferdinand was. The young man was in trouble. He was fighting three different enemies at the same time.

The professor tried to get closer and help him. But he was under a bombardment of arrows coming from two different archers. He deflected an arrow with his sword aimed to his right shoulder and avoided another by stepping aside.

"Ferdinand! We need to pull back!" He shouted while running to his student, mindful of the torrent of arrows flying his way. Byleth grabbed one unaware swordsman by the shoulder and pulling him backwards to shield the arrows shot at the professor. It gave him the opening he needed to reunite with his student.

Back-to-back, they tried to retreat, but the enemies were many and had surrounded them. As best as they could, they defended themselves and each other. Byleth thought of using his sword as whip, but it could mean that his student might get caught in the middle of the attack. And it would render him defenseless for a little while. _Damn it._ Byleth thought.

Just as a heavy armored axeman was about to break Ferdinand's spear, an arrow embedded itself on its wooden handle, effectively deflecting the blow to the ground. Byleth used the distraction of the axeman, who was bent down, to bring his own sword down his neck, separating the head from the rest of its body.

He spun around low and assessed the situation for a second. Back up had arrived. Bernadetta was firing arrows very accurately, either distracting their enemies or killing them.

Hubert and Lysithea were sending spells with splash damage to disperse the enemies surrounding Ferdinand and himself. Felix, Caspar, and Petra were already at their sides helping them deal with the enemies. Lindhardt and Dorothea stayed a little behind to assist with any injuries that might happen.

 _Good! They did listen to you during your classes._ Sothis said proudly. _Yeah, they did._ Byleth smiled while facing a mage. The sight of a bloody emotionless man, smiling at him, a red glowing sword in hand was too much for the mage to handle. He flinched and could not release the spell he had prepared.

Byleth looked around after finishing off the poor terrified mage, searching for another foe. He found that his students had routed almost all enemies in the room. He decided to approach his healers. "Are you injured, Professor?" Dorothea asked alarmed looking at the blood on his face and armor.

"This blood is not mine." He simply said. "But I need assistance with my left shoulder." Dorothea nodded while raising her hand to his shoulder. "What happened?" She asked. He felt a warm sensation on his shoulder. "We were ambushed. They were waiting for us."

"Professor! I found a key!" Caspar was grinning like a fool. "Is the room secure?" He called back. "It is." Felix said. "Wait until we have regrouped, Caspar!" Byleth shouted. Dorothea patted his shoulder. "Should be fine now." She said smiling at him. The professor tested it with circular motions. "Thanks." He nodded at her in approval.

Byleth quickly surveyed the room they were at. The columns in this room were partially fallen, blocking the way on one side of the room. Their only choice was to be careful and try to use the ranged abilities they had to their disposal wisely.

There was not much room to cook up a proper plan, so he decided that the best course of action was to meet them head on. "Alright. Can anyone tell me what our options are?" He asked. _Do you need to waste time with this?_ Sothis said irritated. _Yes, they must learn._ He answered her.

His students gathered around him. "There are no options." Ferdinand said. "We need to meet them head on." He continued seeing that Byleth nodded at his answer. "It is my noble duty to be on the first line of attack." He said earning a sigh from Dorothea.

"He is right." Byleth defended him. "We will have to split into two groups. Long range and weapons." He drew two lines on the dirty ground with his gloved hand. "Our duty is to penetrate their defenses, while your orders are to distract them or kill them with your spells and arrows."

He looked at each of the long-ranged students slowly in the eyes. "That gate is not wide enough, so your window of attack will be very small. Once we are all inside, close in and try to enter the room. Unleash whatever spell you like, if it does not hurt us or Flayn and the other student. Direct them mostly to the Death Knight."

Byleth then turned to the weapon bearers. "This will be dangerous. We are up against an enemy that is very powerful. I will go in first, and I will engage him first. Am I understood?" He said sternly and although his students seemed not happy, they all nodded. "Mission number one is to take Flayn and the other student out of there unharmed. I will try to give you as much time as I can."

"Only when the student and Flayn are out of there, you may join the fight against the Death Knight. Be mindful, his blade might be still poisoned. Remember it almost killed Edelgard the last time we met him in battle." He warned them.

"Alright, take positions." He said finally. "Caspar, hand me the key." He ordered his student. He approached the gate. It was small, they would have to enter it one by one. _Hopefully this works._ Sothis said to him alertly. _I hope so too. Have one the Divine Pulse ready._ He told her. _It will be the last one..._ She told him. _Then let's hope we do not need it._ He grimaced.

Once he turned the key, the gate started opening slowly. Byleth moved to let it open as wide as it could get. Once completely open he moved to enter. His long-ranged students were already sending projectiles into the chamber passing him by over his head.

Their target was the figure in the middle. But none of the projectiles hit their mark. The Death Knight was surrounded by some sort of shield. Like a ward spell with the difference that it glowed red upon impact.

The Death Knight descended from his horse once he saw Byleth approaching. "One of us will die, the other will live. I will enjoy this dance of damnation." He clapped his hands and expanded his arms wide. The shield that once protected him expanded and surrounded them both. Byleth was about to touch the shield but the Knight stopped him.

"I would not do that. This shield will electrocute anything it touches, and I want to fight you to death." He had taken a fighting stance with his sickle. Without waiting he charged. "Haaa!" Byleth had barely time to jump up and avoid the low attack sent his way.

The professor tried to bring his sword down to his mighty foe, but found it blocked by the handle of the sickle. He recovered fast by stepping his foot into the Knights shoulder and backflipping out of range.

Or so he thought. The Death Knight had anticipated the move and was sending an attack after him. Instead of landing on his feet, Byleth opted to slide as low as he could to avoid the poisonous sickle. Once he stopped sliding, his feet almost touched the shield.

Byleth needed to recover fast and stand to his feet. He avoided a few blows by rolling on the dirty floor. "How disappointing. I thought that you would give me a challenge. Instead, you are nothing but a fly." The Death Knight shouted.

Byleth cursed himself. He got to his feet while avoiding yet another close call. He decided that he needed to go into the offensive, so as he parried another relentless blow from the sickle, spun around using the same momentum of the parry. He used his sword to attack his enemy's wrist.

Under normal circumstances, he would have cut the hand off, but these were not normal circumstances, and he was not facing a normal enemy. His sword did connect with his opponent's wrist with enough force for him to lose all strength of that hand and release the sickle.

Byleth did not pause. He kicked the sickle out of reach. _Now I have a chance._ Byleth thought while attacking just as relentlessly as the Knight had just a few moments ago. His foe scrambled to parry with his armor and dodge. He managed to connect a kick to Byleth's chest sending him stumbling backwards.

This gave the Knight enough space to take out the sword at his hip. "This has finally gotten interesting." The Knight laughed maniacally. He charged at Byleth, who did his best to dodge, parry, and counterattack.

For what seemed like ages, none of them managed to win the upper hand. After a while, their movements diminished in intensity and speed. Both men were breathing heavily. Byleth looking for a way to finally finish this fight. There was only one way.

At the next blow from the enemy, he deliberately was one second behind to fully dodge the attack. He felt the pain as the sword embedded itself on his left side piecing skin and muscle. He swallowed the pain and grabbed the enemy's arm with his. With all the force he could muster he spun around using his foot to throw the Knight off balance and on his back.

He then used the force of the momentum to twist his arm. There was a satisfactory cracking sound and a muffled scream from the enemy. A second later there was a heavy 'clank' beside him.

But the Death Knight was not done yet. He had taken out a dagger from his chest with his injured wrist and thrusted it into Byleth's right side. Blyleth stumbled to the floor. Both men tried to get up as fast as they could. None of them wanting to give up the fight.

There was a flash of light. A figure appeared between them. It had a white and red mask that appeared to be adorned with feathers. It wore a dark robe, but Byleth distinguished a sliver plated armor underneath it. "Halt. You're having a bit too much fun." He said said.

His voice was just as distorted, like the Death Knight's. "You are getting in the way of my game." The Death Knight said angrily. "Hmph. You'll have more opportunities to play soon. Your work here is done." The figure said commandingly. The Death Knight trembled defeated. "Understood. I will go..." With that he disappeared with a flash of light.

"Who are you?!" The professor demanded. "I am the Flame Emperor... It is I who will reforge the world." Byleth froze. His whole body flinched. _Could it be…?_ He stumbled forwards trying to reach the Flame Emperor.

He stepped backwards. "We will cross paths again." He said very calmly looking down at Byleth, whose legs gave out and kneeled before him. With another flash of light, he too disappeared.

"Professor!" He heard Lindhardt and Dorothea shout. He heard footsteps behind him, but his attention was solely on the spot where the Flame Emperor was standing a few seconds ago.

* * *

_ **Flashback** _

_He stood there pondering on what he had just learned. Hubert's threat, or maybe warning, had left him thinking. He was so deep in thought, that he did not hear her approach him. He was startled to feel a small hand on his shoulder._

_He grabbed it and turned around quickly on instinct. He made himself stop before hitting her on the stomach. Edelgard did not look surprised by his actions. "Professor, is everything alright?" She asked him worriedly. "You were so deep in thought." She raised her other hand to move aside a strand of hair out of his eyes._

_He sighed at the feeling of her fingertips on his skin. "I am sorry, Edelgard." He shook his head releasing her other hand. "What is wrong?" She asked him. "I… I was ordered here about an hour ago." He told her. "Your loyal servant saw to that." He said turning around to look at the village below them._

" _Hubert?" She asked frowning. "I assume he was here?" She asked carefully. "Yes." He answered. "What did he want?" She asked still frowning leaning on the railway beside him. "I will tell you after we talked." He said turning to look at her._

_She looked at him raising an eyebrow. "Fair enough. What did you want to talk about?" She asked sighing. "I am done being left in the dark." He said after a moment of pause. "What are you planning?" He asked directly._

" _I was hoping to conduct this conversation under other circumstances…" She said shaking her head. There was something in her voice he could not put his finger on. Was she afraid of his reaction?_

_She paused for a long while. Byleth shook his head. "I will give you a starting point." He said to her, pressing further. "Hubert said that there are powerful enemies that work in the shadows." She sighed once more. "They call themselves 'Those Who Slither in the Dark'. They are a group of radicals whose sole goal is to eliminate the Church and seize power themselves." She said starring at the distance._

" _They have opted to work in the shadows, often using the appearances of fallen Lords and other advisors to gain political influence and poison the minds of those in power." She continued._

" _You mean to say that they are not human?" He asked trying to process the information. "Some of them are shapeshifters. Their true identities hidden from view." She explained. "They are responsible for rebellions, terrible experiments and tragedies like the one in Duscur." She continued her face growing angry._

" _Experiments? Are they responsible for…?" He dared not finish the question. "Yes, they are responsible for the experiments conducted on Lysithea, me and countless others." She sighed angrily. Byleth felt his blood boil._

" _They believe me to be their puppet. Their instrument to seize power and end the Church." She spat in disgust. "They are your allies?!" Byleth was getting angry. "Yes and no." She told him decisively. "They believe it for now. But in reality, I am playing a long game of strategy." She said looking down. "There is nothing I desire as much as to tear them down one by one."_

_Byleth breathed in and out for a few moments to calm himself. "What is your plan?" He asked again. "Professor, I envision a future, where commoners and nobles work together. Where the character of a person is the deciding point whether he or she can rule or command. Fódlan is currently ruled by the Crest system that the Church imposed one thousand years ago." She started._

" _A system that has discarded many good men and women, just because they wore no Crest at all. Even among nobles. It is ridiculous." She said shacking her head. Miklan's rebellion came to his mind. "In order to achieve that, I need to break the old system and start a new one."_

" _Many will oppose." He said thinking on what she said. "Yes, but I am ready to walk that bloody path." He looked at her, she seemed determined. "The path is dangerous, I know it. And it will take a lot of time and a lot of lives."_

" _But it is my believe, that only then, I can create a just Fódlan for all." She concluded. "Not just the Empire?" He asked her carefully. "Unfortunately, no. The root of the problem is the system the Church imposed, and it has branched into the other nations as well._ "

" _So, that is why 'Those Who Slither in the Dark' think you an ally." He said connecting the dots. "You have a common enemy." He said shaking his head. She nodded. "I understand Hubert's concern now." Byleth said to her._

" _What do you mean." She asked him looking at him in the eyes. "Your allies want my head. Because of your infatuation with me." He said sadly. "What?" She raised her voice bewildered. There was a long pause._

_In that time Byleth made a decision. "It would be better for us to end this." He motioned between them with his hand. He saw confusion on her face._

" _I want your dream to come true, no matter how bloody the path might be." This was the hardest thing he ever had to do. His un-beating heart was breaking into thousand pieces. "I will help you to the best of my ability. But for the moment it is too much a risk for you to be together with me."_

_Her reaction was of bewilderment. "No… Don't do this." She said to him, tears falling down her cheeks. "I need you." She said to him. "And you have me. But you are not safe being with me." He said sadly. A tear was rolling down his own cheek._

" _I love you, but it is not safe for you." Byleth said turning to leave. Her hand grabbed his, stopping him. Words were failing her. "Maybe one day, we will be able to love each other carefree." He smiled at her sadly. A hidden promise he hoped she would understand._

_He released his hand from hers and left the tower. "_ _It is I who will reforge the world._ _For us." She sobbed. It was the last thing he heard her say before exiting the balcony._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear your comments.
> 
> Until next time.


	12. White Clouds - Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!
> 
> It has been a long waiting time… I am sorry. I had a lot to deal with the last few weeks and the writing of this story fell a little short. Either way, I need to warn you that at the moment, I have a lot of work to do and I cannot promise to update this story once a week again. I will however continue it at all costs.
> 
> Here we go!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 11)**

The Eagles emerged from the tunnel into Jeritza's room. Ferdinand was carrying an unconscious Flayn bridal style, while Felix carried the other equally unconscious girl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Dorothea had protested at his rudeness, but he brushed her off quickly. Byleth had to agree with her. It was no way to treat a possibly injured student, but at that moment he lacked the energy to say as much.

His fight against the Death Knight had been arduous. He was exhausted. The experiment that Sothis and himself had managed to pull off, drained a lot of their energy. He felt it just as the adrenaline had drained off his system.

The injuries he sustained were treated in the field by Lindhardt and Dorothea. But just like Edelgard's wounds the night at the mausoleum, the were not closing. One of his students gave him an Antitoxin. He drank it readily because he slowly felt the pain spreading from his injuries into the rest of his body. It felt as if thousand hot red needles would puncture him repeatedly.

The Antitoxin helped alleviate the spreading pain and stopped the bleeding, but his flesh injuries refused to close. After drinking a Vulnerary, he recovered enough strength to make his way back to the monastery, but not enough to be attentive, scold, praise or even pay attention to the cheerful chatter of his students. He still paid attention to his surrounding tough.

From time to time his students would glance back at him worried. Dorothea had insisted on walking beside him. Out of worry or maybe fear he might just fall down; he did not know nor care. He was exhausted. _Yes, I heard that the last five times you thought of it._ Sothis said sighing. _Truth is that I am exhausted too._ She confessed.

Byleth hummed in response. Dorothea must have heard him and misunderstood him. "We need to get them to the infirmary." She said urgently. "They're pale, and their pulse are slow... Still, I don't believe their lives are in danger." Lindhardt answered her not looking at her.

"The Professor also needs to go to the infirmary." Lysithea said looking as flustered as Dorothea was. "Oh! Yes. We need to hurry then." Lindhardt said almost sheepishly. It seemed he was so focused on the girls that he had forgotten about his teacher.

Caspar was opening the door to let Ferdinand and Felix pass, when Edelgard ran up to them. She raised an eyebrow once she saw the girl on Ferdinand's arms. "You found Flayn? Where?!" She asked relived. "You missed the most important part of the mission!" Ferdinand said excitedly.

"We found her within that secret passage. The culprits were the Death Knight and... what was his name? Ah, the Flame Emperor. Sadly, they got away." He said while walking towards the infirmary Felix in tow. "All that matters is Flayn's safety. Right, Professor?" Edelgard said looking over at him.

"Right." He grunted in response. Dorothea had raised an eyebrow at the professor and shrugged at Edelgard, who was giving her an inquiring look. _Since when do those two communicate like that?_ Sothis asked _. Dunno._ He responded looking intently at Edelgard, his eyes full of questions. She did not react to him, so he decided to wait.

"Hubert, please inform Seteth that you have found his sister." Edelgard commanded to which the student bowed and set off to find Seteth. "Whatever the circumstance, I'm glad Flayn is safe. Though I'm curious to find out who that other girl is..." Edelgard fell into pace beside Byleth.

"Haven't seen her before." He answered. "Hmm." Dorothea mused deep in thought trying to hide a smile. "Do you know her, Dorothea?" Edelgard asked her curious. "No, not at all." She looked at Byleth. "I am worried about him." She signaled him with a thumb smiling mischievously.

"The Death Knight managed to injure him once with his sword and once with his dagger." Dorothea explained. "We gave him an Antitoxin and a Vulnerary, but still, he did not talk to us on the way back here. He looked like a dead man walking." She continued. "All of the sudden you show up, and he starts talking again." Dorothea winked at her.

Byleth did not to react and just look ahead. On his other side Edelgard seemed flustered. "What are you implying?" Edelgard's voice pitched a little. "Oh, you will figure it out yourself." Dorothea singed. _Your princess looks ready to murder the flirthy songstress._ Sothis commented while yawning.

Byleth looked at the stairway ahead and sighed. It was going to be hard to climb them all by himself. He looked at both girls, both were smaller than him, so they were no going to be able to help him up. Maybe he could just go to his room and have Manuela pay him a visit later. _You are not thinking straight._ Sothis said worried. _Manuela was attacked too. Remember?_ She said annoyed. _Right._

He started climbing the stairs using his hand as support against the wall. The girls stayed behind him. He could hear some hushed conversation between them but was unable to make out what they were saying.

Once upstairs, he was passed by a rushing Seteth and Lady Rhea. They were headed to the infirmary. He walked once again following them. This time he used all the energy he could to make it seem that nothing was wrong with him. He would not show weakness to the Archbishop and her advisor.

 _You are straining yourself over nothing._ Sothis told him. _Maybe._ He answered. He entered the infirmary. In there was a buzz of movements. Rhea sat by Flayn's bed while Seteth was sobbing and holding her hand. Manuela lay on her bed still unconscious.

The Eagles were all in there, including Felix. Some of them looked concerned while others bored to their minds, others were trying to help. Byleth sighed. _We need them out of here._ Sothis said. _I agree._ He answered.

"Alright, Eagles!" Byleth said to them with as much authority as he could muster. They all turned to look at him including Rhea and Seteth. "With the exception of Lindhardt and Dorothea, all of you go get some rest." He commanded. "I expect a report on this mission by the end of the week." The reactions from his students were varied. Some nodded eagerly, others sighed in defeat. But all of them obeyed his command.

 _Well, almost all of them._ Edelgard and Hubert were still standing there. The future emperor signaled his loyal servant to leave. He bowed to her and left the room. "That includes you too, Edelgard." Byleth said calmly. She was about to protest, when Jeralt entered the room.

"I am glad that Flayn has been found." He exclaimed patting his son on his back. Unbeknownst to him, he had managed to hit his injured side, which made Byleth take a deep breath. "Careful, Sir Jeralt." Edelgard exclaimed. "I was told that the Death Knight injured him with his poisoned blade somewhere on that side." She said looking worried.

"Huh?" Jeralt looked at his son. He recognized quickly that he needed to sit down else he would fall to the ground soon. "The beds are all occupied. I will take him to my office." He said quickly supporting the young professor.

"I will be there shortly." Lady Rhea said. "Lindhardt and Dorothea, dears, could you scan Monica for further injuries?" Byleth was being dragged out of the room by his father. "Miss von Hresvelg, please accompany Jeralt to his office and assist him with everything you can." She added not looking at them.

Once in Jeralt's office Byleth laid rather ungraciously down on the couch. "Good grief… Can you help him out of that armor?" Jeralt said to Edelgard. She nodded hesitantly. "I will get some water to clean him and his wounds up." Jeralt hurried out of the room.

For a moment there was a pause, where none of them spoke nor moved. She shook her head and knelt in front of him. She was searching for the straps of his armor. "I am sorry this happened to you." She said in a whisper. "How long did you watch us fight?" He asked sternly.

"What do you mean?" She asked him, stopping in her tracks. He could tell that she was speaking to him in a hushed calculated tone, as if she was expecting the question. "I know that you are the one that broke the fight between me and the Death Knight. Or should I call him Jeritza?" He said to her almost angrily.

"Professor Jeritza?" She said in a surprised tone. Byleth was sure that her surprise was rehearsed, the emotion did not quite reach her eyes. Of course, she would be practiced in the art of deceiving others, she had had years and years of practice. "It would be logical that he might be the Death Knight. The evidence against him is quite overwhelming…" She mused as if in deep in thought. "Do not change the subject." He urged her.

"As for your assumption… I was unable to arrive earlier, because I had to go search for Lady Rhea to heal Professor Manuela." She looked very disappointed and almost as angry at him. Other well-rehearsed controlled set of emotions in his opinion. "Lady Rhea was nowhere to be found. I hurried as much as I could to join you and the rest of the Eagles." She explained sighing and resuming her search for the straps of his armor.

"Wyvern-shit." He responded getting frustrated. "Lady Rhea is always in her 'Throne Room' and Seteth should have been as always either with her or in his office next to the infirmary." He said trying to think logically. He was feeling very cold and his body had started shivering. He was not sure if it was because of the discussion or the poison.

"I found them in the Cathedral praying." She said looking up at him feinting anger. But once she looked at him, her whole demeanor changed to genuine worry. "Stop messing with me." He pleaded grabbing one of her hands weakly. "You won't let me…" She answered truthfully placing her other hand to his forehead and frowning. "If I tell you more, you might get you hurt. There will be retaliation." She said in a whisper.

"Ha! But I already am hurt aren't I?." He said sarcastically, releasing her hand because he was no longer able to hold it. Byleth watched the sorrow in her eyes. It caused him to want to rewind back in time. _That is not happening_. Sothis said to him critically. _It might kill you and me for that matter._

Edelgard found one of the straps on his right side and pulled at it gingerly. It did not budge a bit. "This will hurt a bit." She apologized. Byleth realized for the first time how elaborate his breath must have sound. He opted to focus on her scent instead and nodded. With one swift motion she pulled at the strap with her hand. Byleth could feel a thousand needles pinching his injury on his left side.

He felt like screaming, but his stoic face never changed. Edelgard was about to try taking the armor off, but Byleth stopped her with a grunt. "Two more straps." He said to her. She sighed quietly but nodded. She moved her hand to pull at the other two straps. The only reaction the professor gave away was a deep breath. Once done the armor slid right off him through his right side. He felt the cold air cool him off immediately. A mixed scent of sweat blood and his rotten flesh filled the air.

If Edelgard was bothered by it she hid it very well. She found the hem of his black shirt and looked at him. "May I?" She asked quietly. Byleth nodded, move up to give her space to remove the piece of clothing. Sharp pain cursed through both of his sides. The dagger had managed to cut deep into his left lumbar area causing severe internal damage, while the sword had caused what he would normally call a scratch on his right side.

Edelgard looked at him concerned. Carefully and slowly, she helped him up while removing his shirt. He leaned back on the couch closing his eyes in exhaustion. His arms limp to his sides. "The wounds are oozing too much." He heard her say worriedly.

"What kind of poison is it, anyway?" He asked softly while trying to keep his eyes open. Edelgard's face was very close to his body examining the wounds, a fact that he wanted to ignore but could not. "I do not know." She said in a whisper. "I can only share your pain as I have experienced it myself before." "Hmm." Was the only response he could give her.

Edelgard looked at a loss. He could tell that she wanted desperately to do something to alleviate his pain, but she was unable to do so. "I understand." He tried to smile at her reassuringly. But by the look she was giving him, he was not successful at it. He sighed once more.

A few moments later Jeralt entered the room carrying a few clean rags on his shoulder and two buckets of liquids, probably water and alcohol. Byleth almost snorted at his father's antics. To him, every wound or disease should be treated with alcohol, it did not matter if it was used directly on the wound or if you had to drink it. Alcohol was the cure for everything.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but we need to clean him a bit up, before we can treat the wounds." He offered a rag to Edelgard, who nodded and accepted it. She was about to soak it into the nearest bucket, when Jeralt stopped her. "That is alcohol for wound treating." He took the other bucket and placed it between them. "This is water for cleaning." He said.

Edelgard was about to open her mouth to ask his father what that was about. "Don't ask…" Byleth answered her before she gave his father an incentive to start his speech on the wonders of alcohol and wound treating. Edelgard raised an eyebrow not really convinced, but she followed his advice. She soaked the rag and started cleaning around the wound at his left side. Jeralt also knelt and started tending his injured right side.

"That is a nasty set of wounds." He shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn't you get treated on the field to close them?" He asked. "The poison prevented the wounds to close." Byleth answered curtly. "Did you drink an Antitoxin?" His father pressed further. "Yes."

Jeralt frowned deeply. "Well, then it is one of a hellish poison. Must have been made like that by design." He continued cleaning Byleth's oozing wound not knowing how close he had hit the mark. The young professor opted to close his eyes and rest them.

"Hey, Kid!" Jeralt slapped him lightly on his cheek. "Do not go to sleep yet. I need you awake." There was concern in his voice. "Alright." Byleth said opening his eyes to calm his father down. "That's my boy. Always a brave look in his eyes." Jeralt smiled holding his son by the back of his neck and placing his own forehead to his son's in a fatherly gesture.

Every stroke and every drop of water that met his skin near the wounds stung like hell. After a few minutes he took sharp intakes of air while grinding his teeth every time any of his loved ones touched him. "We should stop. I think this is hurting him more than helping him." Edelgard said defeated removing her own rag from Byleth's skin.

"You are right." Jeralt also removed his rag. "We need a healer." He said grimly. "Then it is good that I have arrived." Lady Rhea said from behind them. "Move, let me see." She said softly but commandingly at the same time. "For the love of the Goddess, he is burning up!"

"Quick Jeralt, fetch me clean water ant take that alcohol with you. Return it to wherever you snatched it from." Lady Rhea commanded the seasoned Knight. "Edelgard, dear, please help him move up a bit so I can reach his injuries more easily." Edelgard nodded getting in motion. She was about to lift his head and shoulders with her hands.

"That is not going to work." Lady Rhea said frowning. "Help me move him to a sitting position." Edelgard did as the archbishop said, but Byleth's body was just not holding up. He felt like hot rubber. "Sit behind him to hold him up still. That way you will not be obstructing my view or accessibility to his injuries." Lady Rhea said not looking at Edelgard. "That would be highly inappropriate. And since I am in probation..." The student tried to object but was already moving to sit behind him.

"Quickly, Child! Or we are going to lose him." Rhea urged her. "I am surprised for you to be so shy, after what happened in Conand." Lady Rhea added while inspecting his wounds closely, almost sticking her nose inside of them. "That was a completely different situation." He heard Edelgard say in her defense.

Byleth had been following the interaction sluggishly. He was sure he had missed some parts of it. And the odd thought occurred to him, if his whole body were not in pain, he would have found it very amusing. Edelgard's upper body was pressed to his back and all he could think of was how soft t felt. _Yeah. This is a very comfortable place to be_.

He felt his forehead being pulled back, probably to support his head. Everything was starting to slow down. He wanted to close his eyes and sleep. _Don't._ He heard a familiar voice say in his mind. _Hey!_ He greeted her cheerfully _. Where had you been?_ He asked his mind companion. _With you the whole time._ Sothis answered soothingly _. I am in pain._ He told her. _I know. Just hang on a little while longer._ She answered. _You promise? Just a little while?_ He asked her, not convinced. _Yes._

He was looking at the ceiling. He noticed for the first time that it was wooden. It was adorned by beautiful natural patterns he had never seen before. _The patterns are moving._ He realized. _No, they are not._ Was the answer he got. _Look they are even dancing to that flash of green_. He exclaimed excitedly. _They need to hurry._ Sothis mustered under her breath _. Who? The patterns?_ Byleth asked confused.

 _No, the archbishop and your students._ The Goddess answered. _That does not sound right. My students are on a mission to save Flayn._ He argued. _You already have saved Flayn. Remember? It Is what's got you into this mess in the first place._ He could hear muffled conversation. The closest voice was the most pleasant one. He could not understand what she was saying, but it was as if she was whispering sweet nothings right into his ear.

"He is losing consciousness!" He heard her say in a worried tone _. Don't be worried_. I am fine. He tried to calm her. He tried to smile as he went to sleep.

* * *

"I wish you would just wake up already." Edelgard's voice was somehow muffled. He tried to open his eyes but found out that they were very heavy. Still, he tried again, this time managing to open them long enough to close them again because of the bright light on the room he was in. Edelgard gasped.

Byleth groaned at the stiffness his body presented. His lips that had been very dry partially split, leaving him the distinct taste and odor of blood on them. "Shhh. It's OK." Edelgard was quick to answer in a soothing tone, she was not able to hide her relief that he was awake. He heard footsteps rushing away. "Water" He rasped out trying to move and open his eyes once again.

"Here." She helped him drink from a glass of water she offered him. Byleth drank greedily. "Slow down." Edelgard told him while holding his head upright. "You will otherwise choke." She said looking at him sternly. "How long was I out?" He asked her, ignoring her previous comment.

"Not long. Only half a day." She said while sitting down on the chair she had been sitting previously on. "Hm." Byleth was starting to get used to the light. "What happened to me?" He said clearing his voice. "Well, it would seem that, as you insisted on getting here on your own, you might have accelerated the poison's effect." Edelgard started.

"In my and Manuela's case, we were carried to the infirmary, so the poison had to work harder to reach vital points in our bodies. Or at least that's what Lady Rhea said." She explained further. "Hm. Poison. The Death Knight." Byleth answered. "Lady Rhea, Dorothea and Lindhardt had a hard time to slow that effect down and to start healing you." Edelgard said, looking at him worriedly.

"Why did you insist on taking the Death Knight on alone?" She asked. "The Death Knight is a very skillful warrior. I would have never risked any of my student's life like that." Byleth said defensively. It was all coming back to him. "Besides, he surrounded us both in some kind of magic shield." He told her as if justifying himself. "It would harm any person who tried to escape it or enter it." He said.

"Magic shield?" Edelgard said surprised. "So, you are telling me that the Death Knight used magic to ensure a battle between you two?" She asked concerned. "To the death, I believe he said." Byleth answered nodding his head. There was a faint noise outside the door of the room. Edelgard was quick to look up.

"I… I am sorry, Professor. I should let you rest." She said suddenly while standing up. "Edelgard…" He started, but she was already moving hastily to the exit of the room. "I will see you in class." She exited the room.

 _Well, that was strange._ Sothis said. _Yes._ Byleth agreed with her. _How are you doing, Sothis?_ He asked her after a moment's pause. _Still tired but relieved that you are OK._ The Goddess told him. _Thank you, Sothis._

 _For what?_ She asked smiling at him. _For keeping me alive_. He said smiling back. _Pffft. It is getting harder and harder. You might be a boulder in some regard but you sure are creative finding new ways to put yourself in danger._ She said winking at him. _Ha! That was a good one._

* * *

"Ah! Byleth, dear. It is good to see you on your feet again." Lady Rhea's sweet voce greeted him. _She seems older_. Byleth thought. _She used a lot of her energy to save you, the flirty Professor and that unknown girl._ Sothis reasoned. _And here I thought that you would never defend that woman._ Byleth said feinting surprise. _Oh, shut it._

"It is good to be on my feet again." Byleth answered the waiting Archbishop with a nod. "Professor... Please, allow me to express my eternal gratitude. Flayn is safe and sound, and I have you to thank for that." Seteth was approaching him with his hand raised. A peace offering. Byleth looked at it for a moment trying to measure if the Advisor's words were honest. _The words are sincere. Look at him in the eye._ Sothis urged him.

Byleth heeded her advice. If Lady Rhea looked older, Seteth looked worse. He had dark undereye circles and his face's skin had wrinkles where he had been frowning. After a moment's hesitation, Byleth accepted the peace offering by shaking the other man's hand. "Mere words could never express how thankful I am. I... I am indebted to you." Seteth looked indeed very grateful. He released his hand.

"I couldn't have done it without my students." Byleth answered him. "Yes, of course. I shall express my gratitude to the students as well." Seteth said while Byleth nodded his approval. "I'm happy she's safe." The young professor said truthfully. "Yes, indeed. I... I, too, am overjoyed."

"But why was Flayn taken to begin with?" He frowned looking at Lady Rhea. "Her kidnapper was the masked knight who vanished during the Rite of Rebirth. The one known as the Death Knight." Seteth answered before Lady Rhea could open her mouth. "I know. I fought him." Byleth answered. "Ah, yes. Considering the circumstances, it seems plausible to assume that his identity is Jeritza."

"That I had deduced too." Byleth said looking at the advisor. "And we cannot forget about the mysterious Flame Emperor..." Seteth trailed off. "Yes. But why?" Byleth said getting annoyed at the advisor. _Get to the point already._ He heard Sothis say from beside him. She had materialized there and was watching the interaction very intently.

"Their true motives are yet unclear." The advisor continued. "However, I have an idea. I believe the enemy may have been after Flayn's blood." He said worriedly. "Her blood?" it was one thing he had not expected to hear. "Yes. The blood that flows through her veins is special. It is extremely rare...and extremely dangerous." The advisor said. "Dangerous? How?" Byleth asked trying to understand. Seteth looked briefly over to Lady Rhea, who had remained silent the whole time.

"If enemies who know the secret of Flayn's blood have appeared, our only option is to leave the monastery and go into hiding." He said after not receiving the help he had searched. "That is also why I cannot tell you the secret." _What the hell?_ Byleth was about to ask further questions that raised in his mind when a bubbly sounded from behind them. "Brother, wait."

"Flayn?! What are you doing here? You should be resting!" The advisor looked mortified. His eyes looked in every direction as if searching for any possible danger in the room. "I do not like the path of your thoughts. I do not wish to live in some lonely, remote location where I never get to see anyone. Not ever again." Flayn had come forward and was stepping between the professor and the advisor. _"Not ever again?" What Is that supposed to mean?_ Sothis asked.

"If we stay here, you may be targeted again! Wouldn't it be better for the two of us to live in peace?" Seteth had crossed his arms and was pinching his nose. "Even if we ran off to some new, secret location, there is no guarantee that they would not find us." Flayn said. _Smart kid._ Byleth thought.

"That is why I believe it would be safest to stay in the monastery, where we are surrounded by capable knights and professors." She continued. Her speech seemed rehearsed, well elaborated. "I see your point, I do. However..." Flayn did not let her brother finish his argument. "You know, brother, that it is the only reasonable option."

Flayn turned to look at Byleth directly. There was a gleam of light in her eyes, as if she had achieved her goal. "What if I were to join the professor's class? _Oh no…_ "Why would you want to do that?" Byleth asked her trying to sound cordial. "Because, with a professor like you nearby, I shall be safe no matter what foe should appear!" _Great, now I will have to babysit her while act as her personal bodyguard._ He groaned inwardly.

"I see. I am afraid you have a good point." Seteth shook his head trying to hide a smile. "Professor... Due to my position, I have closely scrutinized everything about you." Yeah, right. You just wanted us out of here quickly. Sothis said. "After all that has happened, I must admit that you are indeed...a trusted ally. So, what say you? Can I entrust you with Flayn's safety?" He looked hopeful. _Hm…_

 _Be as cordial as you can. Maybe we can take advantage of this situation._ Sothis urged him. "It would be my pleasure." Seteth looked pleased and Flayn was beaming at him, her face expressed something he could not put his finger on.

 _Oh no…_ Sothis said while covering her face with her hand. _What?_ Byleth asked alarmed. _That face, that you cannot for dear life put your finger on, is adoration._ Sothis said suppressing a groan. _What does that mean?_ He was very confused. _You really are an oaf. She has a crush on you._ She explained. _Oh no…_

"Flayn, dear, we still have things to discuss with the Professor here. Please leave the room." Lady Rhea asked politely. "Oh, certainly, Aun- Err… Lady Rhea." Hm… Flayn sprinted to the exit, but not before calling back. "I will see you in class, Professor."

The girl almost bumped into Professor Hanneman who was entering the room behind the Knight who had summoned him. He had apparently just returned from his mission with the Blue Lions. Lady Rhea spoke up once the door was closed again. "Well, Professor. I see that I was right to ask your class for assistance." She smiled at him. "Manuela and Flayn are recovering nicely, as is Monica." She said eyeing him critically, as if waiting for his reaction. "I assume, the other girl we found name's Monica?" Byleth raised his eyebrow.

Lady Rhea seemed satisfied. "Monica is also a student at the Officers Academy. However..." She trailed off. "She is a student from last year's class. She went missing just before she would have graduated." The older Professor said. "It never occurred to us that something might have happened to her at the monastery." He was frowning concerned. "We assumed she had run away. I never dreamed that we would find her. Not like this." He concluded sighing.

"Monica has asked to rejoin the Black Eagle House once she has fully recovered." Lady Rhea said in a back to business tone. "Our enemies are still out there, so we must remain cautious and continue our investigation. However, we must also help the students to move on from this incident."

"We could use the Battle of the Eagle and Lion for that. During the time we could take the worries out of their minds by training them." Hanneman suggested. "An unorthodox method but you might be right. Make sure that they are busy then." Seteth said rubbing his chin.

"Yes. The students will remember this battle for the rest of their lives. Please guide them so they may show us their best at the coming battle." Lady Rhea said. "Which brings me to the next subject I wanted to discuss with you." She said looking over at Seteth. "Ah, yes. Due to the injuries that Professor Manuela and you, Professor Byleth, have sustained, we would recommend for all of the Professors to sit this battle out." He said.

"What?" Byleth said confused. "A reasonable suggestion, that I will honor it if that is what you want." Professor Hanneman said looking over at Byleth. There was a glint in his eyes telling him to be careful. _It would seem that he is watching your back._ Sothis mustered beside him. _Maybe we should heed his warning._

"It is." Lady Rhea said looking at Byleth expecting his answer. "Then I will not object. Are we allowed to travel and watch our students fight?" He said trying not to grind his teeth. "It is expected of you." Lady Rhea said smiling kindly at him.

"Then it is settled." Lady Rhea seemed very pleased with the answer she got. "That would be all, Professor Hanneman. Thank you." She said to him. The older man bowed and turned to leave. "Professor Byleth, would you like to drink a cup of tea later this afternoon?" He asked him casually.

"I have discovered some fascinating things that I believe are connected to your Crest." He added after seeing Byleth's hesitation. "It would be my honor." Byleth responded, hoping that he would be able to ask about his warning earlier. "Splendid! I will wait for you in my office then." Hanneman said before leaving the room.

Byleth was about to turn around to leave. "There is one more thing, Professor." Seteth called him back smiling. "We have decided to lift your probation." Seteth said. "Thank you. I will inform Edelgard right away." He answered turning around. "Inform Miss von Hresvelg?" He heard Seteth say confused. "Professor, dear, we are only lifting your probation." Lady Rhea said.

Byleth turned around slowly. "I see…" He was sure he was frowning. "I do not agree with that decision. She searched for you to heal Manuela after she was attacked." The young Professor said, trying to use a normal tone. He took a deep breath. "That is correct, and she found us praying in the Cathedral. But still, she disappeared even before we got to the infirmary." Seteth informed him. "She was nowhere to be found. Presumably, she went after you to help." He explained.

"She returned about an hour later together with you and your class." He continued. "Either way you see it, it is not enough to lift her probation." He said finally. "An hour…" Byleth whispered under his breath. _She was there after all._ He said hurt. _Yes, and she probably impersonated that Flame Emperor herself._ Sothis said.

"I understand." He said nodding. "I need to make a request." He said. "Oh?" Lady Rhea said. "We had help saving Flayn from one Lion in particular. Felix was a great asset to the mission." Byleth explained. "He has voiced his interest on transferring to the Eagles. I am inclined to accept the offer." Byleth said confidently.

"You will be taking three new students then?" Seteth said surprised. "Your workload will increase considerably." He continued. "It will. I was planning on taking just one new student. The other two were, well… imposed to me." Byleth answered. "It does not matter in the end. I will gladly teach whoever wants to learn from me." Byleth said. "Very well… I will arrange the paperwork then." Seteth said defeated. "Thank you. I will take my leave then." Byleth bowed and turned around to leave the room.

Once he was out of that cursed room, he sighed and quickened his pace heading to his room. _The affection for your students is going to get us in trouble someday._ Sothis said sighing. _And what am I supposed to do? It is not like I can control it._ He answered irritated _. It is a god thing, that you are finally able to feel like this. But please be careful._ Sothis said.

 _Wait. You were not with me before all this._ Byleth said referring to the time at the monastery. _How do you know how I was before?_ He asked her _. Partly because of the memories you have shown me. But that is not all. Byleth, I might have been with you the whole time in a dormant state._ Sothis answered. She was deep in thought _. I might have been able to perceive things that happened before._ She said. _Maybe I made you emotionless like you are right now._ She said sadly.

 _Maybe, but you must know, without you, I would most certainly not be alive._ Byleth answered, trying to reassure her. Truth to be told, he was not sure himself, and she could feel it. _Anyway, I do not blame you for anything._ He said finally. _I know, you blame her._ Sothis said sighing pointing her thumb behind them. _I would not have it any other way, Sothis. You know it._ Byleth said to her in a serious tone. _I know._ She said smiling a bit.

* * *

Byleth walked to Hanneman's office an object tucked securely under his arm. He had stumbled on the book he had found in the library the day of Flayn's disappearance. He had almost forgotten about it altogether. Upon examining it, he found the needle.

He had decided it would be best for Hanneman to examine it. He would have the necessary tools to do so. _It is a gamble._ Sothis had warned him. _I will hear whatever he has to tell me, and then I will decide if I will show him or not._ He had promised.

Byleth knocked on the door that was unusually closed. He heard ruffling and steps hurrying to the door. "Just a minute!" Hanneman was apparently organizing his office in a hurry. "Please, take your time." Byleth called back leaning against the doorframe. A few minutes passed and the older Professor finally opened his door.

He looked flustered and very angry. "Are you alright?" Byleth asked his fellow professor raising am eyebrow. "No. But do come in." He ushered the young man. Upon entering, he realized that he had not been organizing his office. He had been messing it up. Papers were scattered everywhere on the floor and desk. His researching instruments lay unorganized on his desk. Books had been thrown down from their shelves. _What a mess._ Sothis said disgusted. _It is strange. Hanneman is always keen to keeping all organized…_ Byleth thought.

"What happened here?" Byleth asked turning in time to see the other Professor close the door and cast a silencing spell into the room. "I am very sorry. But I need to take precautions." He explained apologetically. "You see, when I came back from our mission, I came straight here." He started explaining. "This room was pristine, just like I had left it. But something did not sit well with me." He continued while he started pacing. "So, I started searching what was amiss." He said pacing like a caged lion.

"Is something missing then?" Byleth asked him. "My whole research about your Crest is missing. Samples, notes, calculations, everything is gone." He exclaimed loudly. Byleth looked around. "Are you sure that you searched everywhere?" He asked. "Yes!" The older man said throwing his arms out. "Have you taken my research?" He asked accusingly.

 _Huh?_ "Why would I take your research?" Byleth asked. "Pardon me if I am blunt, but I do not give a damn about Crests. Never have, never will." Byleth said crossing his arms defensively. "Yes. I suppose it is true." Hanneman said sitting down on a chair. Putting his head between his hands he continued. "I have an idea who might have stolen it."

"Who?" Byleth asked taking a few steps forward. "Lady Rhea and Seteth." He said bluntly. "They have asked me to stop researching your blood. They told me it might be dangerous." This statement disconcerted Byleth. It was the second time that he had heard that blood might be dangerous that day. "Dangerous? How?"

"All I know is that it has to do with your unique Crest." He said sadly. _It has to do with us._ Sothis said manifesting herself beside Hanneman. _It is a tragedy for him._ She remarked. _Yes, and maybe a tragedy to us. There is still too much we cannot understand…_ "We will find out again. Would you be able to recreate the experiments you were conducting?" Byleth asked placing a hand on the older man's shoulder.

"I suppose. But it will take months." Hanneman looked up and met Byleth's eyes. "I assume you need a new sample of blood?" Byleth said rolling up his sleeve. "Although it might still be tainted with the poison the Death knight injured me with..." He said hesitantly trying to decide if he should give the Professor the needle. _It is our best chance._ Sothis said. _It might get him in serious trouble._ Byleth said. _He might already be._ Sothis said signaling the disarranged room.

"It reminds me… I found something rather interesting the day of Flayn's disappearance." Byleth said while Hanneman had gotten up to search for a syringe. "What would that be?" Hanneman said absentmindedly. "Ah!" he exclaimed a second later having found a clean syringe. "This." Byleth opened the book and showed him the needle. Hanneman made a move to take the points between his fingers. Byleth was quick to stop him. "I think it could be poisoned with the same substance that the Death Knight used on me."

Hanneman looked up alarmed. But there was also a glint of curiosity on his eyes. "How did you come by this?" He grabbed his cloth napkin out of his pocket and picked the needle up carefully. "Let's just say that I stumbled on it rather surprisingly." Byleth said. "I assume that it was a close call?" The other Professor inquired already moving to his desk and looking for something.

He pulled out a test tube and put the needle inside of it. "Yes." Byleth answered. "Would you pass me that brown bottle over there?" He pointed to the shelf next to Byleth. The young man complied by passing it along. "Thank you." He poured the solution inside of it. Byleth was amazed that the solution immediately turned a light tone of purple. "What does it mean?" He asked.

"It means that the needle was definitely coated with something." Hanneman had a dropper in his hand and suctioned a few drops of the solution carefully. He carefully dropped its contents to a little circular dish. Byleth was sure it had a name, but he was a mercenary, that kind of knowledge was not in his league. "Let us see what this culture dish has to offer then." Hanneman said excitedly. He placed under some kind of magnifying devise and turned on the light.

"This is remarkable." Hanneman mustered under his breath, as if he did not want to move to not disturb the sample. "He turned to look for the syringe. He did not hesitate and drew his own blood. Then he let a single drop of the blood into the culture dish. "By the Goddess! This is definitely a dangerous poison. Come look, it is attacking my blood."

Byleth approached carefully to look. He saw that the blood had been disintegrating rather quickly, as if eaten by the poison. "This poison is using the blood to reproduce itself." Hanneman said taking notes. "It is alive then?" Byleth asked rather confused, stepping back. "No, it is a reaction to the blood." Hanneman explained. "Once it contacts the blood, it starts reacting to it. What follows is a chain effect. As the poison consumes the blood, it multiplies and changes it."

"What is it made of?" Byleth asked dumbly. "That my young friend is something I have yet to discover." Hanneman said. "I think it is the same poison Edelgard, Manuela and I was affected from our injuries from the Death Knight. Is there any way to see if some remnants are still in my blood?" The young man asked.

"Let us investigate." Hanneman had already drawn another syringe, ready to inspect his blood. Once he drew it from his arm, he placed a drop of it into another culture dish. He started comparing both samples. "Unfortunately, there is nothing that I can recognize." Hanneman said crestfallen. "It seems that our healers eradicated any sign of the poison inside of you." "What about from dried blood from last night?" Byleth offered. Hanneman raised an eyebrow and said: "You sure are interested in this subject." "I just do not wish for anyone, especially my students, to be affected by this poison." Byleth said. "The Death Knight seems to be fixated with me. I have the feeling it is not the last time we have faced him."

"I can understand that." Hanneman said smiling at him. "It might be possible to get some results from your dried blood. We should definitely try." He said thinking. "Great, I will bring you my shirt. There should be the enough dried blood to try." Byleth said already getting to the door.

"Wait!" Hanneman stopped him. "If we research this, then we need to be very careful." He said standing up. "These walls have eyes and ears everywhere." He warned him. "The reason I wanted to talk to you today, was to warn you about it." He approached the young man and whispered. "The Church of Seiros is not to be trusted." He said bluntly.

"I have evidence I found on my mission with my students of it." He handed a piece of paper to the professor. Byleth looked at the man critically, nodded once and looked at the piece of paper in his hand. _By the holy order of the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Lady Rhea, hereby is declared that all Western Church and its most devoted and radical followers are to be eradicated permanently, as they pose a danger for the status quo in Fódlan._ He read in his mind. _This is going too far._ Sothis said beside him horrified.

"Damn." Byleth said simply. "I am guessing your mission was to eradicate the Western Church. "Unfortunately, no. We were tasked to rout 'radicals'. 'Radicals' who turned to be farmers and their families. There was no threat with them…" Hanneman said. "Innocents are dying on this purge to keep control."

"This is sickening." Byleth said disgusted. "I got this paper from one drunken Knight on our way back here." Hanneman explained. "And I also managed to salvage this from the fires." He took out a small black book. "Their beliefs are written in these pages. The Western Church is promoting the idea that the Knights of Seiros and the Church of Seiros caused the tragedy od Duscur." Hanneman placed the little book in Byleth's hands.

"Be careful with that. If they find you with that book, they might just kill you." Hanneman. "Here." Byleth placed the book he had gotten from the library in his hands. "That needle over there was shot at me once I took this book out of its shelf. Maybe it contains a formula or specifications on how that bloody poison works." Byleth said still in a hushed tone.

"Why are you giving me this?" Hanneman asked going through the book. "You are putting me in danger with this book, I am putting you in danger with that one." Byleth answered simply. "Though the enemy is another one. One that works in the shadows." He said. "I trust you can make more sense of it than I ever will." _This is wrong, Byleth. You should not trust so easily._

"I will get you your dried blood sample by tomorrow." Byleth said. "Do not tell anyone about this." He tapped the book turning around. "If you ever need my help, Hanneman… Just ask." He said as an afterthought. "The same goes for you, Byleth."

"Thanks." Byleth said gratefully and left the room. _Let us see if he is an ally or an enemy._ He thought grimly.

* * *

He was about to enter his room when he noticed that the lights were on. _You did not leave it like that… there is someone inside._ Sothis said. _Let us see who it is then._ Byleth said opening the door. His other hand ready at the handle of his dagger. "Hello, Professor."

"Hello, Edelgard. Is there something you need?" He greeted her as casually as he could. She was leaning back on his desk looking stunning. "I came by to give you my account of yesterday's rescue." She said offering a few sheets of paper to him. She was giving him a look to play along.

"Ah, yes. Thank you." He said receiving the report from her. He raised an eyebrow. "Rather short for your standards." He commented casually while looking at the first page of the report. He found a note in the front. "As you may recall, I did not participate in the mission per se." She said walking up to him. "There was not much to report about." She said casually.

The note said. _I am being tailed now. We need to be very careful. I just wanted to say that I care about you and will do anything in my power to keep you save._ Byleth hummed looking at her. He nodded his understanding earning a quiet sigh of relief from her. "Is there anything else you want to talk about Edelgard?" He asked taking the note and crumbling it quietly in his hand.

"Actually… Did lady Rhea give you a new mission?" She asked looking at him the eyes. "Not really. She asked me to sit out the Battle of the Eagle and the Lion." He said casually while turning around to sit on his chair. "Actually, she benched all the Professors." He informed her.

"What? Why?" She asked frustrated. "Because of the injuries Professor Manuela and I received." He started scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Either way, I am expected to travel with you to the Gronder Field and watch you fight the other Houses." He said amused.

"Which means that we will have to train harder than I had originally planned." He continued. He Handed a larger stack of graded papers back to her. He brushed her gloved hand with his briefly. "The last report." He explained. "Thank you, Professor." "It is getting late. You should go back to your room." He said softly. "Certainly. I will see you tomorrow in class."

She hesitated a moment. She seemed trouble. As if she was trying to decide whether to leave or not. She finally shook her head and turned around. "Goodnight, Professor." She said not looking back. "Goodnight, Edelgard." He said as she was closing his door.

' _We need to talk.'_ Sothis said frustrated. _Is that all you managed to write?_ She exclaimed. _Not even a 'I care about you too.'_ She said huffing. _She knows I care._ He said not looking at the sulking deity beside him. _She is a girl. She wants to feel loved. All girls do._ Sothis threw her arms into the air frustrated. Byleth stopped to think about it. Shoe _I'll make up for it._ He promised. _You better do._ She warned him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear your comments.
> 
> Until next time.


	13. White Clouds - Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
> I must honestly say, that i had this chapter almost ready, when a new idea hit me. I had to rewrite half of the chapter, I hope its worth the wait.  
> Here we go!  
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters.

**Chapter 12)**

He sat down on a log that the accompanying Knights had set for the campfire. It was the first time that he was able to share a meal with his students since they set off to Gronder Field. The other meals he had shared either with his fellow Professors or with Lady Rhea. The Archbishop had been adamant to invite him every meal to her table, even going to the lengths of telling whoever had invited him first that he had an appointment with her.

It felt to him as if she were trying to keep him for herself almost obsessively. The topics of conversation was mostly of his teaching and his impressions on the students. But after the second meal with her, Flayn and Sethet, that particular topic had run to a halt. Which meant that the real scrutinizing started.

He was asked about his childhood and his time as a mercenary. She wanted to know every detail of every experience he had and the places where he had been to. It felt as if he was being squeezed of every bit of his knowledge and it was something he did not apreciate. Not only because he was still angry and disappointed of what she had done to his family, but also because she acted as if everything was normal.

Since he never mentioned anything out of the ordinary, but she apparently got impatient and decided to ask more direct questions like: " _Have you heard a divine voice_?" and " _You truly are blessed by the Goddess. Has she ever apparated in front of you?_ " To which Byleth always denied. Rhea always smiled at him. Sothis had been present at the time. She advised him to be cautious and to be on his guard. _One may never know what that woman is planning._

"Professor?" Byleth heard someone say. He had been looking at his hands intently, deep in thought. He tried to find the person who had talked to him, but as he looked up he found that all of his students were looking at him curiously, making it impossible to pinpoint the person who had talked to him, out. "Sorry." He said clearing his throat. "Who asked for me and what did you want?" He asked rather ungraciously. The Knights had made sure that each House had each a campfire at each campsite, so that each House could stay by themselves if they wanted to.

This earned a few giggles from the girls and a glare from an annoyed Hubert. "You really were deep in thought. We were calling you for at least a minute or two before you reacted, Professor." Caspar said amused. "Want to share about it?" He asked before anyone else could stop him. "Let's not pry on something we may not want to hear." Hubert said almost hastily looking disgusted at the thought.

"By the frown he was wearing, I doubt it was something related to whatever you were thinking, Hubie." Dorothea jumped in, grabbing the opportunity to tease him. Hubert's face however remained impassive. "I do not waste my time thinking on that direction." He said glaring at her. "Sure, sure. But you understood immediately what I was talking about." The girl smirked.

"I, Ferdinand van Aegir, can help you with any trouble you might have, Professor." Ferdinand said puffing his chest until his shirt almost lost a few buttons. "After all it is my duty as a noble to help those in need." He added fulfilling his need to bring his nobility into the conversation. "Noble or not, I do not think we should pry." Lysithea said huffing at the redhaired student who was sitting next to her.

"Are you needing assistance, Professor?" Petra asked loud enough, effectively calming any other small conversation or discussion that may have broken out. Everyone's eyes were again on the young Professor. "I do not need assistance, thank you all. What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well, for once, you have not touched your food since it was set beside you." Edelgard spoke for the first time. Her eyes met his, asking silently if he was ok. Byleth tore his eyes from hers and looked beside him. Indeed, there was a platter of something stewed beside him, long gone cold. It looked meaty enough, which allowed him to assume that it was probably the fresh catch that Petra had brought for dinner.

"I am sorry." He said shaking his head. "I was lost in thought." He said simply. "That we figured out." Hubert said rolling his eyes and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Byleth decided to ignore the comment. "I hope you are not concerned about our performance tomorrow." Caspar jumped into the conversation again.

"No. Not at all. I am sure you will win this mock battle with ease." Byleth said. "Then what is it that got you so concerned, Professor?" Lysithea said straightening her back. He groaned internally, as he realized that he should have taken the easy out from the topic. "Nothing you should concern yourself about for the moment." He answered standing up. He grabbed his bowl and emptied the content of it behind a bush. "I´ll tell you in due time. For the moment I need you to focus on the battle tomorrow." He continued.

"Remember, Shamir and Alois will accompany you, but Edelgard will call the shots." He said. "As it always should have been." Hubert commented. Byleth blinked once in his direction deciding it did not merit an answer. "This battle is a test of what we can do as a unit. And I will ensure that we come out victorious." Edelgard said solemnly. "Hell yeah." Caspar jumped from his spot. "Bring it on." He said excitedly.

"Hushing is needed. You will be alerting our prey." Petra said reprimanding Caspar. "Sorry." He replied sheepishly. "I just can't wait until tomorrow." He said rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. "Well, I don't care about tomorrow or any battle after that." Bernadetta spoke up for the first time. "Why wasn't I allowed to stay in my cozy room?" "Oh Bernie. Being outside is not so bad." Dorothea said trying to reason with the other girl.

"I'm just gonna hide in the fort and cheer everyone on. There, um, is a fort, right?" Bernadetta said almost comically. "Sure, but it's deep in enemy territory. How kind of you to offer to cut through for us." Lindhardt said yawning. "What?! No! That is not what I meant! Ugh, good work Bernie..." The girl looked like she wanted to dig a hole and hide inside it.

"I will protect you, Bernadetta. It is my noble duty." Ferdinand spoke up. "And here he goes again…" Dorothea rolled her eyes at him. Byleth shook his head in amusement and decided to retreat to his quarters while his students were distracted. As he made his way back to his tent, which was, as always, situated a little separated from the others.

He was just sitting down on his bed when he felt the pull, announcing the approach of his favorite person. How he wished things were different between the two of them. But they needed to be very careful. Ever since Monica had rejoined the Eagles, she had been tailing after Edelgard almost nonstop. It was probably the reason why Edelgard had rejected his invitations to tea lately. There had not been any other opportunities to meet ever since the rescue of the two girls.

"Professor?" He heard her say from outside his tent. "Come in if you wish." He called back, hoping she would. It took her a moment to come in. He imagined that she deliberated if it was wise to do so with a cute frown on her face. "Hello Edelgard." He greeted. "Can I help you with something?" He asked while standing up.

"I just wanted to go through the strategy again." She said approaching him. Her eyes betrayed that that was not the reason she was here. "Ah, yes. Let me grab the map." He said taking a stack of papers under his bed and unfolding a map he had brought with him. He laid it on his bed, conveniently leaving an owl feather and some ink nearby in case she needed it.

"What part would you like to discuss?" He asked casually. "Maybe we should cast a silencing spell. Our opponents of tomorrow have traveled with us after all." Edelgard suggested raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you are right." He said. "Silence."

"I do not have much time. I have been watched over ever since the rescue of Flayn and Monica." She said while pointing a random point in the map. "I noticed." He sighed nodding his head. "A spy?" He asked while motioning randomly on the map. "No, more like chaperone courtesy of my allies." She said frustrated. "Well, then let us cut to the chase." He said nodding.

"I came here to warn you." She said frowning. "I have heard whispers of an impending threat to your life." She said in a serious tone. "The back of my head has had a target on it for a while now." He said fighting an urge to shrug his shoulders. "This one is not to take lightly, Professor." She shook her head slightly. "I am truly concerned about you." She added in a whisper.

Byleth wanted to approach her, to hug her and console her. But he restrained himself for the sake of appearances. "Don't worry about me." He said softly. His hand motioned again a random point in the map in front of him. He brushed her gloved finger lightly. "Any idea what they are planning?" He asked letting his finger linger for a second longer. She sighed heavily. "No. Just that there is a price on that stubborn head of yours." She said frustrated.

He knew that she blamed herself for the whole situation. But he also knew that nothing he said would change that feeling. "Hey. I am going to be fine. After all, I have protection of the Church." He said bitterly. "So that was what you were thinking earlier." She said connecting the dots. "Smart girl." He smirked earning a small smile from her. Goddess how he loved that smile.

"The smartest you got." She said smirking herself. "Oh, I would not be so sure about it. There are a few other that could give you a run for your gold." He said looking up at her. For a second they were carefree, and he wished that this were always the case. Her smile was genuine for a moment before her face changed back to business. "Seriously now. Did something happen with the Archbishop?"

"Nothing new. Does not mean I like it." He answered dropping his joking tone again. "But she has been really obsessed to have me at her side almost at all times." He said looking back at the map frowning. "I cannot be sure, but I think Flayn is in our House for a reason." He had been thinking about it for the past weeks. But it seemed wrong to use an innocent soul like Flayn as a spy. Yet again, one could never know with the Archbishop. "I for once, and I cannot believe I am saying this, am glad that Archbishop is watching over you. Even in the unlikely scenario that she is using Flayn as a spy." Edelgard responded.

Byleth noted how hard it was for her to admit that. He was about to open his mouth to respond to that when Sothis chimed in. _Someone is coming._ "So, in the unlikely scenario that there are archers hidden at the tree-line…" The flap of his tent opened. _Thank you, Sothis._

"Here you are Edel." Monica said innocently. "Hello, Professor. Would you mind if I steal her for a second?" She asked sweetly. "Monica, actually I was reviewing the strategies for tomorrow with the Professor." Edelgard cut in almost forcefully before Byleth could even acknowledge the girl. "With the upcoming battle, I need to be prepared. I can only do that by reviewing the strategy." Edelgard said without looking up from the map in front of her.

"But Edel… I need to catch up with the year's assignments. Otherwise, I will not graduate this year." Monica insisted. "We have done that already a few times over, Monica." Edelgard sighed frustrated. "This battle is important to measure our progress. It is my chance to assess the other houses strengths and I am not intending on loosing it." Edelgard said as she passed by Monica and opened the flap of the tent again. "Since you are still benched for battle, I suggest you catch up with the assignments you're missing." She said forcefully motioning Monica to leave the tent.

The other girl huffed, spun around like a spoiled brat and left the tent. "I´m so sorry, Professor. Shall we continue?" She said pinching her nose. Byleth raised his eyebrows in question. "Never seen you like this, Edelgard. Denying help to one of your peers."

"I have given her all the help she needs to come through the final exam." She said taken her previous spot next to him. "A little independence is not too much to ask." She added making a face. "Spoken like a true Emperor." He smiled feeling proud of her. She turned a cute shade of red before replying. "I guess I have to get used to that." He added before turning again to look at the map.

"Try to secure this spot." He said fully aware that the silence spell had worn off once Monica had entered the tent. "Wait." Edelgard said. "Silence." She casted and let a loud sigh she had been holding back. "The situation is ridiculous." She said bitterly. "Tell me about it." He answered just as bitterly. "What can we do to change it?" He asked pointing something on the map.

"It is better to wait a bit longer. Until we come up with a good plan." She said finally after a moment of silence. "I don´t like that plan." He said. "Neither do I." She answered sighing. "But we have no choice at the moment." She added. "I wish things were different." She looked up to look at him. He saw in her eyes that she was wanting to be close to him, as much as he wanted the same with her.

"It is better I go now." She said finally. He wanted to ask her to stay, but he knew that would be dangerous. "Be careful, please." She pleaded once more. "I will... Edelgard? I… I miss you." He blurted out without thinking before she left. The statement rooted her to the spot. "Good night, Professor." She managed to say smiling at him before her impeccable indifferent mask returned to her face and exited the tent.

 _That went better than last time._ Sothis said from inside of his head. _It is the longest conversation we had for a long time._ He said still standing on the same spot staring where she last stood.

 _You really are in love._ Sothis giggled. _You are a hopeless romantic._ She added teasing. _And who taught me that?_ He said sarcastically. He could hear a fit of giggles inside of his head.

Byleth made his way to the top of the hill, where the officials, nobles, Professors and other spectators would watch the mock battle.

Once on top of the hill he was greeted by Sethet. "Good morning, Professor." Byleth nodded in his direction greeting him. "Lady Rhea has asked me to tell you that she has reserved a spot next to her for you to watch the battle." He continued falling into step with Byleth. "Furthermore, she asked me to invite you to breakfast."

"I am sorry, Sethet. I have already eaten something with my students." Byleth lied. "But I would be honored to look at the battle with lady Rhea." He lied again. He would rather prefer to be on the battlefield than just watching. "I'll inform Lady Rhea." Sethet said smiling and heading off.

The young Professor took the chance to take a look to what was going to become the battlefield in a few moments. The structure in the middle armed with a ballista and a healing tile would be the key for success. It would also be the point all armies would battle the hardest to get control of.

He had decided early on during the preparation time, that he would build their battle strategy together with his students. He had used classroom hours to discuss their ideas in front of a map provided by the Church. He was not surprised when Edelgard, Lysithea, Ferdinand and Hubert engaged in the discussions putting many possible strategies on the table.

He was however surprised when Lindhardt actively engaged the discussions as well. Even looking awake most of the time. In his own ways he argued against or for ideas. Byleth had been extremely grateful because it made the students look at their ideas from another point of view. It forced them to come up with contingency plans.

Felix, who always seemed disinterested during class, engaged in the discussions as actively as Edelgard or Lysithea had. He demanded that they should train more often in the training grounds to improve their skills. And that was exactly what they did, much to the dismay of Bernadetta, Lindhardt and Dorothea.

Petra did her best to follow the arguments and throw in her opinion on certain things. She had offered to serve as an assassin if needed be. Everyone had looked at her until Edelgard explained that they were not actually allowed to kill anyone. To which Petra apologized profoundly. Byleth decided to pair her up with Felix on the training grounds. The improvement they both made together was something Byleth could brag about.

Flayn, who was shielded by her brother her whole life, needed to work on every aspect of combat. Byleth had taken on the mission of teaching her the basics of hand-to-hand combat, lance, bow, sword and axe. She learned fast, but none of the weapons were her forte. Byleth was about to bench her from the battle when he noticed er natural aptitude for the first time.

Caspar was hurt while training with Edelgard and Flayn had rushed in and healed him almost effortlessly. From that moment on, Byleth had paired her with Lindhardt and Dorothea to help her strengthen her healing magic.

Bernadetta trained with Petra, Felix and Shamir, who he had asked to join to keep an eye on his students in his stead. Alois had tagged along. Despite his booming voice he was a great addition to the training sessions. He even managed to teach Caspar and Edelgard a few tricks with the axe. Hubert, Lysithea and Dorothea trained together on their dark magic spells.

All in all, he felt that his students were well prepared and well watched over. Byleth was certain that his students would be victorious. He had given the leadership to Edelgard, who was the natural choice, much to the dismay of Ferdinand. He had given his all to surpass his House leader and was sure he would be leading the attack. He had been crestfallen for a bit, until Byleth took him aside and told him that his special mission was to look out for Flayn during the battle. That relit the fire within the student, who worked even harder to fulfill his special and noble mission.

Byleth had sent off his students with an encouragement to do their best and have fun, earlier that morning. They went to gather with a garrison from the Empire who would assist them on the battle.

Looking down at the field, Byleth noticed for the first time the sheer number of accompanying magic users from all Fódlan. They were all set around the perimeter and had strict instructions to wrap or teleport the defeated or injured away from the battle.

"It is impressive, is it not?" Lady Rhea said behind him. Byleth was surprised to hear her so close to him. Thankfully, his body did not flinch at her voice. "It is." He said as calmly as he could. "I just wish I could be there with them." He had just caught the sight of Edelgard leading her peers and a large number of Empire soldiers into the field.

His eyes lingered one moment longer on her. As if on cue she turned around and looked up the hill. Her eyes apparently found him easily enough, and she raised her axe in greeting. The rest of his students mimicked her actions, also raising their respective weapons.

Byleth could not help to smile and greet them back unsheathing his own sword and raising it high into the air. Even from the distance he could hear the shouts of pure excitement at his response. He felt as if they had just received a boost of some sort, an extra encouragement to do their best.

"They regard you highly." Lady Rhea said next to him. "I have never seen a connection between students and Professors like this before." She said smiling at him. Byleth nodded his response while sheathing his sword again. "It is almost time to begin. Let us take our seats." She started walking away.

Byleth stood there for a second longer before following her. "The view of the battle will be spectacular from our reserved chairs." _She is trying very hard to streak conversation with you._ Sothis said manifesting next to him. She had just woken up and still looked tired. "I appreciate that you reserved me a spot." Byleth said looking at the large and tall wooden platform built at the top of the hill where a few chairs were placed. A few Knights guarded its perimeters.

"Will the other Professors join us?" Byleth asked looking at the number of occupied chairs on the platform. "Yes, dear. As well as a few Lords and officials from all around Fódlan." She answered happy to finally converse with him. "This mock battle has great tradition, and it is very well frequented among nobles." She continued. "Some of them come all the way here because of the prestige of it and others come every year because of nostalgic reasons." She explained.

"Prestige?" Byleth asked confused. "Yes. You see, there are not many opportunities for the nobles to assemble in peace with the nobles of the other regions of Fódlan." She explained while reaching the steps to the platform. "It is a great opportunity for them to gather and discuss peacefully under the eyes of the Church about issues that could mean war otherwise." She smiled at him. Byleth nodded in understanding as it made sense.

 _This is all a charade then._ Sothis said. _The important part of this battle is not the actual battle itself._ She huffed indignantly. _The students had been working hard to excel at this mock battle. For what?_ Byleth lamented and the thought made him angry. Suddenly he had even less desire to take the seat next to Rhea.

She was greeting the Lords and Ladies assembled on the platform. Byleth did not recognize any of them, but they did at least know who he was. "Ah, so you are the new Professor that my son had been telling me about in his letters. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." One man with a thick dark blue mustache and no hair on his head had greeted him. Byleth had no clue as to whom he might be, so he curtsied and nodded.

"The battle is about to begin, and we need to go take our seats, Count Bergliez." Rhea had said to him pleasantly. "There will be time for chatter after the battle." She said softly but still with enough authority in her voice that Count Bergliez bowed and agreed with her. _So this is Caspar's father._ Byleth thought. _He is the highest general the Empire's armed forces._ He recalled. _He regarded you cunningly._ Sothis said.

Byleth made his way after Rhea. No noble dared to stop him, as they all had noticed the previous interaction with Count Berlietz. Once they took their seats in the front row, a servant approached them and asked if they would like something to eat or drink. Byleth was about to send him on his way, but Rhea asked for a bottle of sparkling water, a rare good in Fódlan and a very expensive one at that, and two glasses.

The servant smiled and complied to his Lady's request. She stood up and looked at Sethet. He nodded from his spot at the edge of the platform and raised his hand. Trumpets sounded from below them, signaling the beginning of the mock battle. Not that the nobles had cared. They chatted as loudly as they had been doing before, not paying attention what was happening bellow them.

He saw all the students cross the wooden bridges that separated them from the battle quickly but carefully. Once on the battlefield he noticed that his students had followed the plan and were divided in two groups. The first group consisted of Petra, Felix, Hubert, Dorothea, and Shamir. All of them were accompanied by a small number of soldiers from the Empire. A small strike force meant to catch any unaware Golden Deer that crossed their way.

"That is one smart move, Professor." Lady Rhea said beside him. "Divide and conquer. One of the oldest combat strategies and still one of the effective ones at that." She continued. "But by the looks of it the Golden Deer had been awaiting this move." Byleth answered looking at the Deer´s side of the battlefield.

They had also divided their force in several smaller groups. Some of them were marching quickly to conquer the key structure in the middle. Some others, not so far away from the first group were marching to intercept any Blue Lions coming from the east. The pair that was going to confront the Eagles consisted of Lorenz and Ignatz with their respective number of troops from the Alliance.

"Where is Claude?" Byleth asked, looking for the leader of the Deer. He scanned the battlefield calmly to try to find the elusive student. He was not in the first or second group. _He must be watching the third group´s back, then_. He thought. _Let us hope that your students follow the contingency plan then._ Sothis said. He agreed with her, hoping that they would not be caught unaware.

"It looks like the Lions have engaged your Eagles." Lady Rhea said. Byleth looked over and found that Ingrid with her white Pegasi company had attacked Caspar. The student was holding his ground nicely enough, but he would not last long if he didn´t get any help. Luckily enough, he received the help he needed in the form of arrows and spells. Bernadetta and Lysithea had doubled back to help his fellow peer. Flayn was rushing back to help heal Caspar's wounds. Ferdinand was close by guarding her, just as Byleth had told him to.

The rest of the Eagles advanced forward quickly. And for what he could distinguish from the distance, it was a tight race to see who would capture the middle structure first. Judging by the numbers, the Eagles should come out victorious. Numbers helped in these kinds of situations, but skill and strategy would define the outcome of the inevitable fight ahead of them.

"The Eagles reached the middle structure first." Byleth had seen it too and was very pleased. If they could secure the site, it would mean certain victory. The Eagles were engaging the Lions, who had arrived in second place to the structure. Alois and Edelgard were in the front row, fighting for the dominance over the healing tile. He focused on Edelgard's movements. She was holding up her ground with deadly perseverance, parrying attacks and counterattacking foes who were stupid enough to think they could take her on. On a closer look, her next opponent seemed to be Dimitri.

Their fight looked like a deathly dance. Neither of the House leaders winning the upper hand, as both of them attacked and counterattacked in an intense battle. Of course, Byleth was rooting for Edelgard, but he had to admit that he was amazed at the skill Dimitri had achieved over the last few months. His movements were controlled and precise. The Professor could not find any trace of the anger and madness that had consumed the student on their first mock battle.

Still, an immense sense of proudness overtook Byleth once Edelgard was able to defeat her fellow House leader. She had managed to break his spear and throw him off balance. Before he could even grab the sword at his belt, Edelgard had managed to put her axe dangerously on his neck. Dimitri was wrapped away a second later. Alois, who was next to Edelgard, assisted on taking on the seasoned warriors from the Kingdom. More and more of the Eagles joined their effort, routing their opponents slowly. It would have seemed that the Eagles had the upper hand in this battle.

He averted his eyes to the smaller strike force. It took him a moment to find them because they had found the cover of the trees ahead of them. He could no longer see Lorenz or Ignatz, so he had to assume that they had been dealt with. Still there was no sign of Claude anywhere. Raphael and Hilda had abandoned their march to engage the Lions and were approaching the group quickly.

Byleth had seen Raphael train before. The young man was huge, he could lift almost double of his own weight, was fast for his size and was an excellent brawler. Which meant that he had to get close to make any kind of damage to any of his students. If they saw him on time, he could be dealt with from the distance, otherwise Petra and Felix would have to team up to defeat him.

Hilda was a big question mark for him. From what he had heard Professor Manuela say about her, she was a very intelligent young woman, and always happy to help any girl to dress up, do her hair and apply make up on her face. But academically she was lazy, she would arrive late for class and procrastinate any type of physical training, always trying to find an excuse not to attend to the regular training sessions at all.

Either way, those two were advancing quickly to the small strike force's positions. Byleth was surprised that his students had not reacted to their approach yet. Either they had not seen them yet, which was unlikely, or they had been ambushed in some way by Claude. Another moment passed and there was no movement from the trees. He tensed during that moment, his hand reaching his sword automatically.

Finally, red sparks flashed from within the trees, the work of Dorothea and Hubert no doubt about it. But not in the direction of the incoming students. It was hard to see what was really happening there, but spells kept flashing their lights through the foliage. Byleth wanted to shout on the top of his lungs at them to watch out for the reinforcements, but he knew that they would be unable to hear them.

Then he understood what his students were trying to do. They were attempting to set those woods on fire, and smoke whatever was lurking there out. This meant that Claude had probably been hiding on top of the trees, waiting for his chance to ambush them once Hilda and Raphael were close enough. Just as he suspected, the archer company that Claude was leading fled into the ground and away from the smoke. Byleth could still not see the Deer's House leader.

Petra and Felix came out first, ready to engage anyone who was close to them. Byleth was amazed how those two worked together and managed to defeat a large number of soldiers in little time. Maybe Petra was right. Maybe she and Felix should be trained as assassins. Byleth made a mental note to ask them if they would agree to it after the battle.

Shamir made an excellent work by covering the backs of the two attacking students. As expected of her. She then started focusing on the incoming Deer. From what Byleth could see, she sent a rapid fire of arrows in their direction. Hilda and Raphael started avoiding the attack, slowing their previously rapid advance. Hubert joined her soon after. _They are going to be fine._ He thought.

 _Byleth, there is something wrong here._ Sothis said alarmed. _Huh?_ He had been so focused on keeping an eye on his students that he had forgotten to pay attention to his surroundings. The Lords were still as chatty and loud as they had been before. But something was missing.

His senses kicked in setting him on high alert. _Sothis, what is happening?_ He asked her. A sense of unease settled inside of him. _I don't know. But something is about to unravel. I can feel it._ She warned him. _Be ready._ She advised.

He nodded and looked around for a moment, forgetting the battle underneath. The nobles were not paying attention to it anyways and were discussing political matters among themselves. Byleth noticed that none of them were armed. At least not visibly. Manuela and Hanneman had approached Sethet at the edge of the platform, to have a better view of the battlefield and escape the ruckus of the nobles for sure.

Byleth stood up from his seat. "Is something wrong, Professor?" Lady Rhea asked sounding curious. Byleth ignored her for a second approaching the railway. _What is missing?_ He scanned his surroundings again. Then he noticed it. "The Knights are gone."His eyes widened. Lady Rhea also stood up to see if what he had said was correct or not.

A flash of anger crossed her face. "This is unacceptable." She said anfrily. She took a step or two in the direction of Sethet, probably to tell him to fix it, when a green flash entered his peripheral vision. He reacted on instinct, grabbing her arm, and pulling her back to him, with the result of her bumping ungraciously into him. The spell missed its mark by a hair.

She looked bewildered with a slight blush on her cheeks a for a second before a second spell flew by. This time it was Rhea that pushed him away a few inches, yet again avoiding the incoming attack. He was surprised by the amount of strength she had used to push him. The woman had muscle, even if she looked fragile sometimes.

Byleth saw almost in slow motion, how the nobles looked flabbergast at each other, and further spells headed their way. Everything around them went silent for a second, except for the sounds coming from the battlefield below them. It lasted only a second though, as chaos unraveled after it.

Soldiers clad in the Western Church colors were wrapped from all sides to the platform. Byleth was quick to move out of Rhea's embrace and to grab his sword and block an attack from the nearest soldier. The mas was experienced and skilled in battle and he fought Byleth vigorously. As soon as this soldier was defeated, another three took his place. Each one of them as seasoned as the last one.

The flood of enemies did not seem to slow down. Byleth needed to come up with a plan to create a little bit of space to think properly. _Use the sword you oaf._ Sothis said. _It could harm somebody important._ He reasoned while parrying a blow from the opponent in front of him. _At this rate it will not matter. A lot of them are already injured or even dead._ She informed him.

He dared to look around for a moment and saw that she was right. There were still a few Lords and Ladies fighting to flee the scene. Lady Rhea, the other two Professors and Sethet were fighting beside him with whatever weapon they were able to grab from the deceased Western Church soldiers. He then decided that Sothis was right. With one swift movement he activated the swords whip function and started using it to regain some space between them and the opponents.

Inch by painful inch they advanced. The flow of incoming enemies did not slow a bit. _It is as if they want to tire you first._ Sothis said looking around. _Most of the nobles have grabbed weapons and are ready to fight._ She informed him. _They won't last though._ She regretted. _They are already too injured._

"Byleth!" He heard a shout after he had killed another opponent. Lady Rhea was advancing to him, defeating any poor soul she met with respectable skill. It made Byleth question himself, when did the Archbishop learn how to fight, and to maintain that level of skill, when did she train? "We need to retreat!" She shouted to him. "Help me clear a path to the stairs!" She instructed him once again.

 _Finally, something that makes sense._ Sothis said. Byleth ignored her for the moment, following the Archbishop's instructions. "Sethet, Manuela and Hanneman. Watch the rearguard!" She shouted not looking back, as she was busy taking another soldier down. She was however unaware of a spearman who was about to strike her sown. Byleth reacted instantly and blocked the attack before it could reach its destination.

Count Berglietz joined the two of them in their effort to get to the stairs. _Why on Earth did the Church commission a platform with only a set of stairs?!_ Sothis huffed. _Watch out!_ Byleth ducked instinctively. The arrow missed him by an inch. He tried to get up, but a swordsman was looming over him. Byleth blocked an attack, rolled to the side and kicked hard. His boot connected to the man's knee. The heard a loud shout before the man fell backwards with a loud thud, grabbing his injured leg.

Byleth got up and continued fighting towards the stairs. He was beginning to get tired and his previously injured sides hurt, as the wounds apparently had not jet healed completely and ached from his movements. But he tried to put those thoughts aside for the moment. He was fighting to survive. _You are fighting to get to see your princess once again._ Sothis stated. _Not right the time, Sothis._ But he had to admit that she was right. He did not give half a damn about the nobles and certainly not even one for Lady Rhea´s wellbeing at this point. He just wanted to see those lilac eyes once again. It was the fuel that kept him fighting.

He fought like the Ashen Demon. Not caring about the gruesome deaths that some of his opponents died at his hands. As he finally reached the stairs, Lady Rhea and Count Bergliez were not far behind. Soldiers were storming the stairs slowing their advance. The stairs were only wide enough for two persons to stand side by side. Byleth advanced step by step using the higher ground to his advantage. Count Bergliez was right beside him. The man grunted and shouted just like Caspar would. But his movements were well thought after. There were no unnecessary steps or slashes, unlike his son.

"Move!" Byleth heard Lady Rhea say from behind him. He had just enough time to duck before something flew above him. Lady Rhea started using her magic to help them advance. The spell hit the soldier before him with such a force, that he stumbled backwards, causing a domino effect with the incoming soldiers on the stairs.

Byleth used the time to see the ground below them. It was full of Western Church soldiers and mages ready to fight them. The force was too much for them to take them on an open field. "Stay on the stairs!" He shouted. That would limit the flow of incoming soldiers attacking them. Minute by minute they fought. And minute by minute more soldiers wrapped just outside the platform, ready to kill the small group.

"There are too many of them!" Count Bergliez shouted desperately. He was out of breath and his movements were slowing down. "Fall back!" Byleth shouted at him. But the man did not move a bit. _Just as stubborn as his son._ Byleth sighed inwardly. After a few more minutes, the man finally gave in and retreated. Lady Rhea was quick to take his spot beside Byleth.

It was a lost cause, Byleth could feel it. Lady Rhea must have known it too. And still they fought side by side, defeating many soldiers until their bodies made it difficult for new ones to climb the stairs up. They could catch their breath for a moment. But soon, a fraction of the soldiers who were waiting downstairs, were wrapped into the already cleared platform.

They were surrounded once again. This time they were all tired and some of them even injured. Byleth knew that if he would not be running away from death that day, and he planned to fight until the very end. On the way he would try and take as many of those idiots down to hell with him. He readied himself mentally, regretting that he would never see his beautiful girl one last time. And to tell her that he loved her one last time.

 _It has been fun, Sothis. Thank you._ He said to his faithful companion. _I cannot believe this is it… I wish things were different._ Sothis said to him sadly, comprehending that he was talking honestly. _I'll see you on the other side, I guess._ She was fighting tears back.

Byleth stood on his spot, ready to take out any opponent that would approach him just as more and more soldiers wrapped just outside the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear your comments.  
> Stay safe & until next time.


	14. White Clouds - Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys.
> 
> Sorry I could not post this earlier. I really wanted to get it right and not rush it to post it unfinished.
> 
> On another note, I am having a blast writing this story. I am now exploring new ideas to help me progress with my version of the story.
> 
> And I hope most of you enjoyed reading it so far.
> 
> Here we go!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FE3H or any of the characters

**Chapter 13)**

_It has been fun, Sothis. Thank you._ He said to his faithful companion. _I cannot believe this is it… I wish things were different._ Sothis said to him sadly, comprehending that he was talking honestly. _I'll see you on the other side, I guess._ She was fighting back tears.

Byleth stood on his spot, ready to take out any opponent that would approach him, just as more and more soldiers wrapped around the stairs.

"This is not the end!" A distorted voice said beside him. It confused him, as it should have been Lady Rhea who had been fighting beside him. He looked over and found out that the once beautiful woman was transforming into something… scaly? She was growing alarmingly fast. "Rhea! Are you mad?" Seteth called out alarmed. "Stop it or it will consume you!" He shouted pleading with her.

Her face contorted and grew long. She growled and shouted in pain from the confusing transformation. Her eyes stayed the same color, but they changed to match her now ashen white scaly face. Her hair changed into four ebony horns. Two of them protected her now long lizardry neck, the other two curved beside her head. Byleth took a few steps back since her body was now large enough to fill the space meant for two on the stairs.

As he retreated into the platform, he noticed that her clothes began to tear. Bones had grown out of her spine and they seemed to grow even bigger to serve her like a sort of protective dorsal spine. Two large lumps grew fast from her shoulder blades, finally rupturing the skin and setting two huge scaly wings free.

 _What the hell is she doing?!_ Sothis said beside him alarmed radiating a disappointment feeling into him. _She should know better than to transform._ She said alarmed. _What?!_ Byleth said ducking to avoid the large strong tail from Rhea. He retreated a few steps back into the platform. _What did you just say?_ He asked again, still avoiding the tail. "Byleth! Get back here!" Seteth shouted.

He did not need to tell the young professor twice. Byleth ran the rest of the steps up, as the stairs began to creak dangerously under the creature's weight. A second later the stairs gave out, taking the Archbishop down with them. A large thud caused a small quake, shaking the platform dangerously. Byleth had jumped into the platform and fell hard onto its floor, as he lost his footing on the shaking platform. A cloud of dust and dirt rose blocking his view down. The platform swayed and creaked dangerously, but by Sothis' miracle, it did not collapse.

A low dangerous growl could be heard inside that cloud of dust. Byleth crawled to the railway as the other nobles had done, not willing to miss the view of the happenings below. Something had caught fire below them, as he could distinguish flashes of orange and red below them. A second later Byleth realized that the fire came from the length of the transformed body of the Archbishop.

Rhea released a beam of light with a loud bestial roar. The soldiers, who had been paralyzed by the creature before them tried to avoid the attack, a little too late. Their bodies were charred into the same positions they last moved. "Damn you, Rhea!" Seteth shouted from the edge of the platform. He was on his knees, hands curved into fists, his knuckles white. The man was angry, and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "What did just happen?" Byleth asked him, approaching him quickly.

"The Immaculate One happened." He snaped angrily, confusing Byleth even more. "She was **stupid** enough to change again." Seteth was vivid. "Again?" Byleth asked. He had never heard any story regarding the Archbishop where she had transformed into a damn dragon. "You will have to tell me later." Byleth said grabbing him from the arm and pulling him up. Realizing that he may had talked too much in his anger, Seteth nodded.

"Now, how do we get down there?" Byleth looked around. "Why would you want to do that?" A woman behind him said incredulously. She was grabbing her dress up and had a deep bleeding cut on her arm. "To help the Archbishop." Byleth stated simply. "I like this boy!" Count Bergliez boomed sptting Byleth in the back painfully. "We could try to climb down those wooden beams supporting the structure. "Too dangerous." Byleth discarded the idea immediately. "We need to get down there as soon as possible." Seteth said. "I need to go reason with her." He sounded worried. "You need to help me, too." He said looking at Byleth.

A few moments passed, the growling, hissing, and roaring coming out from The Immaculate One was deafening. Her movements were frantic. Those brave enough to engage her met either of two fates. They were thrown into the air, completely disembodied by her strong claws and teeth. Or they were crushed by her tail or another body part of hers. Even Byleth was perturbed by the sight.

The group on the platform was still trying to find a way down. Byleth had had enough and was about to jump down when he saw a few Pegasi approach them. They barely avoided spells, arrows, and other projectiles, to reach them.

Unsurprisingly for him, the riders of those Pegasi were the House Leaders and a two other Knights of Seiros. All three looked tired, and it was apparent that they had encountered resistance on their way to the hill. There was blood plastered on each of their armors and even in Edelgard's hair.

"Reinforcements are here!" Claude said once they had landed on the platform with a cocky smile. He assessed the damage with his eyes. "About bloody time!" Count Bergliez boomed. "Your Highness, it is good to see you unharmed." He bowed to Edelgard. "There will be time for courtesy, later, Count Bergliez." She said dismounting and approaching Byleth. Her eyes betrayed the worry she had felt for her Professor. "Everyone OK?" She asked as if to mask her worry, looking around.

There were a few "yes" and "no" hummed around. Byleth nodded in her direction once she returned her eyes to him. "Seteth and I need to get down there. We need to calm Lady Rhea down." He said looking down to the dragon. She was starting to back down; she was probably getting tired from the previous fight and her transformation. "Wait. You mean to tell us that that… _thing_ , is Lady Rhea?" Dimitri asked from behind them in disbelief. He was assisting one of the Ladies who was injured.

"Yes. And time is of the essence." Seteth replied quickly while moving to a free Pegasus. Byleth mimicked his movements, approaching Edelgard's previous ride. "I'll come with you." She said instantly. Byleth nodded before turning to see Claude. "Would you stay to guard these people?" he asked him in a tone that said not to say no. The student eyed him critically for a moment before he nodded.

Byleth turned to see the Knights. He did not know if he had the right to command them around, but he did not care at all. "You two, start evacuating these people to safety. Join the fight after you are done." He told them while he mounted Edelgard's Pegasus. He saw Seteth take Claude's and Count Bergliez was mounting Dimitri's Pegasus behind the student.

Edelgard approached him, she made a motion for him to sit further back and allow her to mount in front of him. Of course, he complied. "Ready?" he asked looking around. Without waiting for anyone, Edelgard kicked her Pegasus, prompting it into a gallop. Just as they reached the gap where the stairs should have been, the beast jumped high and used its large wings to lift off the wooden floor.

With a few powerful thrusts of its wings, they started to soar high up the air. Byleth had a firm hold around Edelgard's waist, sliding her even closer to him. It was the first time in what it seemed like forever that they were this close to an embrace. She leaned her back to his chest, a gesture that made him assume that they had shared the same thought. Alas, the moment did not last long. Just as soon as they were on the air, they were circling down to land. Byleth loosened his hold around her waist regretfully, and Edelgard leaned forward once again.

As soon as they touched the ground, Byleth jumped out and ran forwards towards Lady Rhea. Edelgard and Seteth were close by. For the first time he noticed that all the students and their accompanying garrisons were fighting the Western Church soldiers. The opponent had been surrounded and were fighting an intimidating dragon, and the reinforcements that just arrived from the battlefield below them. Their numbers were dwindling quickly.

"Go help the troops!" Seteth roared to Count Bergliez and Dimitri. "You two, with me." He said grabbing a forgotten lance, that was smeared in blood, from the ground. Byleth, Seteth, and Edelgard ambushed a few soldiers and made a path to get to the tired but still raging dragon. She was still sending attackers flying in parts. Most of the soldier were so freaked out, that they looked ready to run away, alas they were trapped between an army lead by students from all Fódlan and a dragon. Soon, the group arrived where Lady Rhea stood panting heavily. The opponents had formed a line out of reach of her, and they dare not to cross after them anymore.

Byleth saw the recognition in The Immaculate One's eyes once she laid eyes on them. "You should not be here." She said with her distorted dragon voice. "We are here for you." Seteth said calmly advancing with his arms outstretched. "You need to calm down and transform back." He tried to reason with her. "These ants will suffer my retaliation." She said angrily, flaying her tail in the direction of the Western Church soldiers. The men and women scrambled to get out of range of the enormous tail. "And they will, but you cannot stay in that form." Seteth said urgently. "Remember what happened to our brothers and sisters." He eyed Byleth and Edelgard with a warning in his eyes.

"They were fools." She growled at him snapping her head dangerously in his direction. "And you are going down the same path, sister." She roared in pain, for a moment her eyes changed to show a beast gone mad. Byleth decided to help Seteth calm her down, forgetting about the slaughter and danger behind him. "Lady Rhea, do you recognize me?" He asked dumbly, outstretching his arms like the Advisor had done. She eyed him for a second, and them recognition made her eyes turn back to… uh… normal? "How could I not recognize my dearest one?" She said as softly as her distorted voice would let her.

 _Dearest one?_ Sothis said disgusted. Byleth ignored her for the hundredth time this day. "Then, you should know that I agree with your… brother." He said trying to grasp the idea of Seteth being her sibling and find anything to say to her that would not compromise him. "Change back, please." He urged her. "I am not done yet." She argued stubbornly snapping her head in the direction of the opponent army. He had an idea, but he needed Sothis to approve it. _Go for it._ She said to him almost instantly, her voice full of concern for him and for Rhea.

It confused him, but he decided to ask her about it later. "Do you think the Goddess would want you to waste your life as a raging dragon?" He said loudly and reproachfully crossing his arms in front of his chest. If this was going to work, he needed to play the part. "She has other plans for you." He hoped it would do the trick. "You talked to her?" The dragon asked hopefully. "No, but I had a feeling. A feeling that was not mine." He said. "A feeling of disappointment." He said telling her a half-truth. "Turn back, Rhea." He commanded taking several steps forward.

He sensed that Edelgard was advancing with him, and he lifted a hand in her direction, signaling her to stay put. He tried to ignore the image he got from Sothis. She was frowning looking confused and a bit angry. But she followed his silent instruction not to approach with him.

Without a warning, the dragon approached him. He dared not move while her hot breath was directly upon him, it smelled like blood and flowers. A very strange combination. She lowered her head enough for Byleth to be able to touch her if he wanted. He did just that, triggering something familiar inside of him. Or was it Sothis's feeling? _A memory?_ Rhea sighed in contempt at his touch on her snout, before her whole body cracked and started to shrink. She advanced a few steps, so that Byleth was directly underneath her. As her body shrank, she stood upright.

Byleth realized that she would be naked for everyone to see, so he decided to take his coat off, and be ready to cover her. The bloody scales that previously covered her body started to fall off leaving her skin as white as snow. Her face also started to lose her long snout and her horns started to fall down her scalp in light green threads, slowly transforming into her signature long pristine green hair.

As soon as she had shrunk enough, Byleth supported her, throwing his coat over her making sure that she was not exposed for the world to see. He prevented her from falling, as her legs were shaking under her own weight and had lost her strength to stand up. Seteth advanced to help the young professor hold his sister. "You fool. Why would you risk your life like that?" He said to her in a hushed but relieved tone.

Byleth looked at Seteth, questions must have filled his eyes. The Advisor shook his head. "Later." He said simply. "Would you take her to her tent?" Seteth then asked him. Byleth did not want to, but he reckoned that he had no choice in the matter. He picked the still shrinking Archbishop bridal style up making sure that she was decently covered. She had groaned in pain at his action, but she settled her head against his shoulder falling into a deep slumber.

"What are you going to do?" Byleth asked the advisor. "Rout the remaining idiots out. Take a few of them as prisoners for questioning." He responded, venom filling his tone once more. He advanced to the line of men who were still afraid to move forwards. Many had realized that they would be slaughtered in little to no time. Some of them threw their weapons to the ground, a clear sign of surrender.

"Miss von Hresvelg accompany your Professor, please. Protect them." Seteth called back. She nodded and approached Byleth with a frown on her face. She led the way down the hill, trying to avoid any deserters from the Western Church or any other lurking danger on their path. Byleth dared not speak, for he was afraid it would cause somebody to notice them. Besides, he did not know if the seemingly unconscious Archbishop could hear them.

Edelgard kept glancing at him and unconscious Archbishop in his arms. A frown always plastered on her face. He was sure she was as filled with questions as he was. They advanced without much trouble. There were a few Western Church deserters, that were running away. They never once looked in their general direction, partly because Edelgard had maneuvered them out of sight.

He had just realized that it was almost dusk. That meant that he had been fighting for the remaining of the morning and most of the afternoon, and Byleth's body had started to notice it too. The adrenaline that kept him going was rushing out of his system quickly, making his body burn.

He was not happy about this development. In retrospect, he had saved the very woman that had destroyed his family twice that day. _For the greater good._ Sothis said sighing. _The alternative would have been worse._ She added as an afterthought. _What would have been the alternative?_ He asked her. _Not sure, but I had a feeling. A hunch of what could have happened. It was bad._ She said. _You felt that too, right?_ She asked him. Byleth nodded internally.

 _The feeling I felt as I touched her snout…_ He started. _It came from you._ He stated. _Yes, it was as if I almost remembered something._ Sothis told him. _It is frustrating, because I cannot seem to remember anything else, other than that feeling of familiarity._ She said frowning as if she was concentrating very hard. She huffed angrily and threw her arms out, giving up.

 _You should ask for help._ She told him after a moment. _You are barely holding on to her. You might drop her._ She said. As much as they both despised the woman in his arms, they both agreed that it would be rude to drop her in her unconscious state. Still, he was way too stubborn and kept going. _Sothis, why did you know that her transformation was dangerous?_ He was curious.

 _Another hunch. A fleeting memory of a feeling._ She said to him after thinking about it for a second. _I do not know how to describe it._ He nodded understanding. He had felt it too. _Is there a connection between you two?_ He asked. Sothis sighed loudly. _If you would have asked me this before today, I would have said no._ She told him truthfully. _Now I am not sure._ She shook her head. _I wish I could remember._

The rest of the way to the Church's campsite was uneventful. They found it in a state of disarray. Tents were cut open and completely crashed out. The few guards that had stayed behind, were dead. "We need to advance carefully, Edelgard." Byleth said to her in a whisper. She nodded lifting her axe, ready for any kind of sneak attack.

Regardless of, if she was prepared or not, they arrived at the Archbishop's tent without an issue. Whoever had made a mess of the place, was long gone. Byleth looked around the tent once they entered, searching for traps or maybe an adversary. The tent had already been barren, it seemed to be the Archbishop's preference to keep her rooms that way. He knew this because he had been in that tent before because of the unrefusable dinner invitations he had attended. Still, it impressed him to watch the state the room was.

Everything had been thrown out and lay in various parts of the large tent. Edelgard picked the mattress up and set it with a thud unto the empty bedframe. Byleth lowered the Archbishop into it. Once his arms were free of the extra weight, he flexed them attempting to improve the blood circulation in them. "You could have asked for help." Edelgard stated, noticing his actions.

"I could have. But decided against it, as I am not certain that I could have lifted any kind weapon to defend us." He said shrugging his shoulders. He looked over the sleeping form of the Archbishop in front of him. His coat was thankfully big enough to cover her naked body, but it wasn´t long enough to cover her long legs.

He shook his head and looked around in search for a blanket. His eyes fell upon Edelgard's, who was frowning again. "What is it?" Byleth asked her worried that she might be injured. She snapped out of her thoughts and blushed a bit. "I… It is just… It's nothing." She sighed looking away. Byleth wanted to go to her and lift her chin. He restrained himself. "Hm." Was the only verbal response he gave her, but he did raise an eyebrow curious.

She shook her head. "It's nothing, _my_ teacher." She said forcing a smile at him. Byleth blinked at her emphasis on the word 'my'. _Leave it be._ Sothis warned him. _Why?_ He was confused. _Search for the blanket._ She advised again not having any intention of telling him the reason. He walked over to Edelgard, having found what he was looking for behind her on a broken chair.

Once in front of her, he reached behind her, brushing his arm with hers. He realized that they were very close to each other, so close that he could hear her quiet outtake of breath. _Well done._ Sothis said smugly. Byleth looked at Edelgard directly in her eyes. He was very aware of the pull he felt for her in that moment. And Byleth was sure it would be impossible to pull out of the intense gaze they were sharing. The slight blush on her cheeks only got deeper.

Byleth was subconsciously moving closer to her, he wanted so desperately to capture her lips with his. Instead, he buried his nose in her blood-smeared hair taking her scent in. The smell was like a drug to him, he just could not get enough. Regretfully, she stepped back, having regained some control over herself, clearing her throat.

Byleth raised his head, still standing there. He tried to make eye contact with Edelgard, but she suddenly found the floor very interesting. "Edelgard…" He started to say, not sure why he had opened his mouth at all. All words had fled his mind once he saw her eyes on him again. She was clearly having an internal conflict with herself.

"… You can always tell me what's on your mind." He offered hopeful that she might open up to him. She glanced at the sleeping Archbishop on the bed. She shook her head sadly. "Some things are best unspoken." He understood what she was trying to tell him. Still, he felt disappointed.

"You should sit down. Your knees are already shaking." She said grabbing the blanket from his hand and walking over to the Archbishop and dropping the blanket unceremoniously on her lower body. She picked an unbroken chair up and setting it near the bed. She motioned him to sit.

Byleth looked at her for a moment before sighing and walking over to her. He sat down, plumping his three letters into the hardwood chair. All his muscles protested at his actions. "Are you hurt, Professor?" Edelgard asked him concerned. He must have winced or something. "It is exhaustion." He said simply. "And my previously injured sides hurt." He added once he felt the throbbing at his sides.

"Let me see." She said stepping over in front of him. He was reluctant at first, but he ultimately gave in. He lifted his shirt a bit, enough to show the pink puffy scars that were left by the sword and dagger from the Death Knight. She leaned over to take a better look. "They don't seem to have reopened again." She said tracing a gloved finger over the one in his right side. He shuddered at the contact, partly because it hurt and partly because he liked the feeling of her finger on his skin. Even if it was a gloved contact.

 _Don't go over there._ Sothis warned him. "Did I hurt you?" Edelgard said concerned while retracting her finger from his torso. "No?" Byleth said clumsily. He heard her giggle softly at his response. "No?" She asked him trying to hide a smile. _You can't even come up with an excuse._ Sothis said hiding her face behind her hand. _Help me._ He pleaded. The Goddess in his head sighed. _Tell her you are not thinking straight because of exhaustion._

"I.. am just exhausted. I am not thinking straight." He said looking to the ground. Before she even could muster a response, they heard noises coming closer. Both Byleth and Edelgard snapped their heads towards the general direction the sounds came from. Someone was approaching fast.

Edelgard retrieved her axe previously holstered on her back with her hand, ready for a possible fight. Exalted chatter could be heard from outside the tents. Byleth understood that these were not enemies, as they would have been quiet if they were to ambush the small group in the Archbishop's tent. Still, he felt proud of his student, as she did not let her guard down.

The tents flap opened. Seteth, the House leaders and a few Knights stepped inside. The advisor acknowledged them with a nod and sighed relieved that his sister was apparently alive. It was still odd to think them as siblings. It would take time for him to get used to that fact.

"Thank you." It was all he said to Edelgard and Byleth before turning around to the Knights. "Guard the prisoners. She will be willing to interrogate them herself." He then turned to look at Dimitri and Claude. "Go get some rest. Tend to your wounds. You will march back to Garreg Mach at dawn." He said in a dismissive tone.

"If I may, there are still a few things that we do not understand." Dimitri said stepping forward. "I agree with the royal prince here." Claude said, his eyes betrayed the hidden calculations in his head. "I think we deserve some answers." He said giving the advisor his signature easy smile. "I am not entitled to tell you anything." Seteth sighed frustrated. "You will have to ask Lady Rhea once she has recovered. And that is my final word."

"Very well then." Dimitri said in a frustrated tone. His eyes darkened for a moment, before returning to normal. "I will let my fellow peers know." Claude considered pressing the matter further, but apparently decided against it. "Same here." He said. Both of the students bowed and left seemingly unsatisfied. "I will take my leave, too." Edelgard said attempting to follow the other two. "I need a word." Seteth said motioning between the Professor and his student.

"Silence." Seteth casted. "As you both might already have imagined, the information I shared earlier today in my own… desperation, must stay between us." He started. "It is of upmost priority that nobody else knows that Lady Rhea and myself are related in any way." He continued giving them a warning glance each. "So, it is true, then." Edelgard said thoughtful. "It is." Seteth nodded. "And I implore you to keep that information to yourself. The consequences could be of great magnitude." The advisor trailed off.

"Is that a threat, Advisor?" Edelgard said snapping out of her own thoughts. Her words carried in a severe tone, much like the one she used to send Monica off a fortnight ago. Byleth could only wonder at the amount of authority she was able to convey in those words to. "Hm? No, it is not." Seteth answered, apparently remembering who he was talking to. His face darkened for a minute. "But the consequences for both the Church and the Empire could be catastrophic." Tension was building up dangerously.

 _You must intervene._ Sothis urged him. Byleth agreed with her. "How is it possible, for her to turn into that… beast?" Byleth made a move to stand up from the chair he had been resting on. His muscles were protesting at the pain he felt. It took all of his will to stand up, using the chair to lean on it. Edelgard, who had been in a starring contest with the advisor looked at him. She immediately made her way to help him. "You should rest." She said reproachfully.

"Of course! My sincerest apologies, Professor. I had not realized how exhausted you must be." Seteth said apologetically. "I will inform the Knights to help you to your tent." He said moving to the entrance of the tent. _He is ignoring your question._ Sothis said angrily. _I am not letting him off the hook yet._ "Just answer my question." Byleth said with a faked sigh. "I am afraid that my answer won't change. I am not entitled to tell you that." He said looking at the sleeping form of his sister on the bed.

"You will have to wait until you get back to the monastery." He said and without a pause he continued. "I am flying her tonight back there." "Don´t tell me you are going to transform into a dragon too." Edelgard said sarcastically beside Byleth. "I am using a wyvern, I cannot transform like Lady Rhea does." He said irritably. "Go get some rest, you two." He said with finality.

Byleth sighed silently. He was pretty sure that only the young woman at his side heard it. He took a few shaky steps towards the exit. He moved slowly, not that the Advisor had noticed at all. He was busy letting the Knights procure him a wyvern to transport his sister back to the monastery.

 _It makes sense, you know._ Sothis told him in the back of his mind. She had retreated a while ago, probably to take a nap. _The aftershock from a transformation like that should be-_ She was interrupted by short scene. Byleth was pulled to see it, something that had never happened before. The memory was brief, but it let both the Goddess and the Professor rooted on their spots, as it they had been transported away. Byleth could no longer feel the pain in his muscles.

* * *

It was as if both, Byleth and Sothis were looking through the eyes from an unknown person. No, they WERE that person, furhter more, they knew this person. They could feel and smell their surroundings, as if they were there. Their feelings and movements were controlled by the memory. They felt disappointment, worry, and lots of sorrow.

They stood beside an elaborate wooden bed in a very bright room. But their eyes were fixated on a teenage boy with light green hair and eyes on it. The young man was thrashing about in a mixture of pain and rage, grunting, growling, and shouting insanely. He kept changing into a scaly dragon and back again uncontrollably.

Slowly they raised a hand, that emanating some sort of light green power, and placed it on his forehead. They seated themselves beside the now calming boy, a motherly gesture, full of love, but also full of sorrow. "Mother…" The boy sighed relieved. They noticed for the first time that there was a dagger firmly grasped in the other hand. They smiled at him one last time and with a swift motion they pierced the boy's heart, ending his life.

They watched how the light slowly fled his eyes who were oddly contempt. "There was no other way for you, my child. I am so sorry, I failed you." They said in pain, letting the tears they had been holding back free.

"Mother…?" A little girl said behind them. "Hm… You should not have witnessed this, my child." They stood up swiping away some tears on their cheeks and turning to see a girl with green hair hiding behind a pillar. They approached the girl and grabbed her hand softly. "What did I tell you?" They asked scoldingly. "To go play with my older brothers and sisters." She was looking to the ground. "Look at me, my child."

The girl slowly looked up, and once they looked at her face, their breath was taken away from them.

"Lady Sothis, your precesnce is urgently required" A servant said knocking the door urgently.

* * *

They were startled from the bed they had been resting on with a loud groan. He was breathing heavily and agitated. _Sothis, was that…?_ He started. _Yes, it was her._ She said oddly calm. _You… She called you 'Mother'. Is that true?_ He asked her agitated. _It might appear so._ Sothis was feeling calm but terribly disappointed. _What?!_

 _Byleth, calm down. It all makes sense now._ She said. _Calm down?!_ He said in angry disbelief. _The woman that ruined me and my family is YOUR daughter. And you want me to calm down?!_ He gripped the blanket in his fists tightly He could feel the hurt coming from the Goddess in his head, and he felt instantly sorry. _I don't agree of what she has done, remember? But now we finally understand why she did it._ Sothis said.

 _Does it make it better though?!_ Byleth said tossing the blanket to the ground. He was angry beyond measure but Sothis was right. He needed to calm down before he could think something that could hurt them both again. He placed his head between his knees, holding his hair with both hands and took a few long calming breaths.

He heard cloth being tossed aside roughly. "Professor?" Byleth looked up to realize he was in his tent. It was either dawn or dusk, judging by the light inside of it. His class stood on the entrance of his tent. All were looking worried at him, well, all except from Hubert. "You are awake!" Caspar said joyful. "Thank the Goddess…" Bernadetta said from her hiding spot. "The Goddess does not have anything to do with his recovery." Lindhardt said from somewhere in the back.

"I also have gratitude." Petra said sighing relieved. "Are you alright, Professor?" Ferdinand asked. "Define alright." Byleth answered. He realized that his body was hurting still. "What happened?" He asked before anyone could answer his first remark. "It is quite simple. You fell unconscious after exiting the Archbishop's tent. Presumably because of exhaustion." Hubert explained. "You have been asleep ever since."

"When was that?" Byleth asked dreading the answer. "Two nights ago." Dorothea said worriedly. "Hm…" He grunted as he tried to move to the edge of the bed. "Maybe you should keep resting, Professor." She suggested approaching him. "Dorothea is right. You should not overexert yourself, Professor." Lindhardt said also coming forward to assist him.

"I have rested enough." He sighed, lying stubbornly of course. _Easy, Byleth._ Sothis said also sounding worried. His every muscle hurt, but he needed fresh air, so he stood up shakily. He paused for a moment before he looked around searching his coat. "Where…?" Then he remembered. He had cladded the Archbishop with it after she turned back to her normal self. _Damn._

"Let's go." He said moving to the entrance of his tent, where his students were standing blocking his way. "Professor?" Edelgard spoke up for the first time moving to block his way out. "We don't want to keep the company any more than we already have." He explained. "Professor… The company left two days ago." The future emperor told him concerned. "They left?" Byleth said confused.

"Yes. The Advisor told the Knights to return immediately to the monastery." Lysithea told him. "I am assuming he took Flayn with him?" Byleth asked calmly. "Of course, he did." Hubert told him in a tone that told the Professor to stop asking stupid questions. "He dragged her out saying he would need her help to deal with some aftermath." He said and without a pause he added. "She wanted to stay here with us." Caspar said rubbing the back of his head.

"He left you all alone?" Byleth asked clenching his fists. "No. The other Houses, Professor Manuela and Hanemann, Alois and Shamir decided to stay too." Ferdinand said solemnly. "A very noble gesture of them." He added of course. "Truth to be told, we were all worried. A healer got to you first once you fainted. He said you had no heartbeat." Lysithea told him das at the memory. "Edelgard was adamant for someone to fetch Professor Manuela. She was ready to attack any other healer who wanted to help." Byleth shot an inquiring glance at Edelgard who gave him the slightest head shake in response.

"Since the Archbishop was out of commission herself, the best healing option was Professor Manuela." Edelgard defended her actions. Byleth nodded. Manuela knew about his condition as did Edelgard, even if they had never openly spoken about it. "She calmed us all once she announced she could feel a faint pulse in your veins." She continued. A wave of dizziness washed over him, he had barely time to plant his foot on the ground to prevent a fall.

"Professor, are you alright?" Edelgard shot a hand to his forehead to measure his temperature. He reacted too slow. She gasped. "You are ice cold." Byleth shrugged unconcerned. "I am fine." _Other than your whole body hurting._ Sothis commented irritably. "Quick, fetch Professor Manuela." Edelgard commanded. "On it!" Caspar shouted and ran away as quick as he could.

"This is unnecessary." Byleth said crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I am fine." His stomach rumbled. "That is a good sign." Dorothea said, trying to repress a giggle. "A good meal will be warming him up." Petra said lighting up. "That is not the only thing that could warm him up…" Dorothea said under her breath. Edelgard tensed up retracting her hand quickly from his forehead and taking a step back and looking to the ground briefly. Her actions earned a smirk from Dorothea. "I have hunting some rabbits and birds for us to be eating soon." Petra said excitedly, seemingly not having heard the other girl's remark, turning to leave the tent and fetch her catch.

"A meal would be welcomed." Byleth said calmly. The remaining Black Eagles escorted him to the campfire. It was dark by then. _Night then._ He thought. The students had placed their repaired tents closer to his. "Professor, it is good to see you awake." Monica said to him sweetly. He had honestly forgotten about her. "Monica." He greeted and kept walking.

The girl smiled once again and followed the Eagles to the bonfire. He was greeted warmly by the students of the other Houses. _They seem genuinely happy to see you awake._ Sothis remarked. _Funny. Even if I have not had much contact with them, they seem to care about me._ He thought. It confused him to no end. His head began to hurt, surely because of exhaustion.

Byleth sat on a fallen down tree flanked by Edelgard and Manuela. He accepted the stew that was prepared by Petra, Dedue and Ignatz. It was so delicious that he asked for a second portion. "It is good to see a healthy appetite on you." Manuela said next to him. "Thank you, Manuela. For all." He said truthfully. The headache had not resided, it had only gotten stronger.

"Oh, don't mention it." She said dismissing his gratitude. "It is the least I could do, after you got to me in time to save me." Manuela said smiling at him. "Come to think of it, it has been a very interesting school year. You really came up here to spice things up." She said winking at him. "Although I do not agree with your antics, Manuela, I have to agree with you." Hanemann said. "It has been a very interesting year. Rebellions, assassination plots, long lost Crests, abductions… All somehow connected to you."

"If you believe I cause all those incidents, then you are mistaken." Byleth said calmly. "Pardon me, if you believed I am accusing you." The other Professor said quickly. "I was merely pointing out, that you have been involved in all extraordinary incidents this year." He smiled. "Am I correct if I assume that the previous years, none of this… situations happened?"

"You assume correctly." Hanemann answered. "So, I am a magnet for trouble then." Byleth said, trying to lighten the mood and to distract himself from the now pulsing headache he was suffering from. "One could say that." Manuela answered scoffing. "Well, I am glad that you are our Professor. We get to do the exciting stuff around here!" Caspar said.

Byleth realized that all students had been listening to the brief conversation between Professors. The young Professor nodded. "I wouldn't change it either." He said honestly. "Although I don't think that Garreg Mach needs a trouble inviting Professor next year."

"Does that mean that you will be returning to be a mercenary? What about Captain Jeralt?" Leonie was quick to ask him. Byleth raised an eyebrow. "I haven't decided what I will do. As for my father… I think he will be happy to be on the road again." Byleth said imagining how his father would be more than elated to leave the service of the Knights once again.

"In that case, I would gladly offer you a position in the Kingdoms court." Dimitri said. "I would like also to throw my hat into the mix. The alliance could use somebody like you." Claude offered with a calculating smile. After a moment of pause the leader of the Deer's House chuckled. "Well, I'm confused, future Emperor of Adrestia. You are not going to offer the Professor a job?" He asked Edelgard, calculating.

"Actually, I am not." She said calmly. "I retreated my initial offer long ago after I got to know the Professor better." She said almost arrogantly. "But make no mistake, if he wants to come to the Empire in the future, he is more than welcome there." She continued calmly, looking at Byleth with a small smile on her face. Byleth was looking at his half-eaten second portion of stew intently. His head was pulsating and the pain was increasing by the minute.

"Well, Dimitri. It seems to me that we are once again out of the race." Claude said sighing defeated. "We should wait for the Professor to make a decision before we jump into conclusions, Claude." Dimitri said shaking his head. "If my calculations are correct, then the Professor will be taking a far more alluring position in the Empire that we could ever offer him." He said smirking and winking at Edelgard.

"What are you insinuating?" Edelgard crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Oh, I am not insinuating anything, dear Princess." Byleth heard Claude say defensively. Byleth's head was spinning fast. A series of disconnected images were coursing way too fast to make any sense of them through his mind. _Sothis…?_ He managed. _I see them too._

Someone looking lovingly after her children. Those same children slowly growing up. An intense pain as this person, whom both Sothis and Byleth assumed was a loving mother, was impaled by a sword while protecting the little ones. Blackness. Several failed attempts meant for her rebirth in form of blurry images.

The face of an incredibly beautiful dead woman with long moss green hair and matching eyes and smiling lips. This image stayed with him longer as the other ones, but eventually it also faded, followed by other images. Images of his childhood, but not seen from his own childish eyes. It was as if somebody had been watching over him all along.

Byleth dropped his bowl of stew and grabbed his head. The pain was maddening. His sight was blurry. He felt his world spinning and he was beginning to fall down a void. _Byleth!_ He heard Sothis shout or was it someone else? It was muffled as he retried to focus once again.

The headache finally subsided, and his sight slowly returned to him. The first thing he noticed was two beautiful light purple orbs full of worry looking directly at him. He blinked a few times and tried to focus again; else he got lost in those eyes. He was laying on his back, his legs still on the log he had been previously sitting on. A hand supported his head, presumably Edelgard's, judging by the short distance between them.

He felt a familiar churn on his stomach. _Oh no.._ He jumped quickly to his side standing up in one swift motion and making his head spin once more. He felt dizzy but moved though clumsily away from the princess and the female Professor, who he noticed, was at his side too. With long strides towards a tree not too far away. He emptied the content of his stomach rather loudly. His legs giving out to making him crouch on the spot. He placed a hand on the tree for support.

Hands found his back, rubbing it in soothing circles. Too many hands to be one person. "Ugh…" Was all he managed to express. "Shhh. Its okey." He heard Manuela say on his right side. "What happened?" Said Edelgard in a whisper. "Something is happening to me." Byleth told them in a hushed barely audible tone only the two women were able to hear before a lot of footsteps approached them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear your comments.
> 
> Until next time.


End file.
